New York can replace Indian Point reactors: Governor Cuomo
NEW YORK |
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is confident the state can replace the power generated by the giant Indian Point nuclear plant, but offered no details during an online Town Hall chat with New Yorkers over the weekend.
Cuomo wants the 2,065-megawatt nuclear plant, located on the Hudson River about 45 miles north of New York City in Westchester County, to shut when its two reactors' original 40-year operating licenses expire in 2013 and 2015.
Entergy, the second biggest nuclear power plant operator in the United States and Indian Point's owner, however, wants the reactors to continue running for another 20 years and has asked federal nuclear regulators for new operating licenses.
"There is no doubt that we need replacement power if we are to close Indian Point. There is also no doubt that we can find it," Cuomo said during the Town Hall chat.
Indian Point generates about 25 percent of the power used in New York City and Westchester. Each of the plant's two reactors is capable of powering about a million homes.
Officials at Entergy were not immediately available for comment.
The New York grid operator has already determined that shutting Indian Point would threaten the reliability of the city's power grid.
Entergy and New York power company Consolidated Edison and others have also warned power prices would rise without the low cost power Indian Point produces.
"We can retrofit old plants, we can site new plants, we can improve transmission lines. So if we want to find replacement power, we can," Cuomo said.
Last week, New Jersey based energy company NRG Energy told Reuters they want to repower a 600-MW old oil/natural gas-fired plant in Astoria, Queens with a new, efficient 1,040-MW gas plant that could be built in New York City in just a few years to replace part of the power currently generated at Indian Point.
NRG suggested the replacement of Indian Point would likely require the construction of new generation in New York City and the lower Hudson Valley, and additional power transmission lines in downstate New York.
"The replacement power issue is not a justification to keep Indian Point operating. And my point has always been safety first and the reward doesn't justify the risk," Cuomo said.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has consistently said that Indian Point is safe and the NRC staff has already determined the plant is safe to run for another 20 years.
It will however take years of hearings and expected appeals on all the contentions opposing the 20-year reactor license renewals before the commission can decide what to do about Entergy's license renewal request.
(Reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York; editing by Sofina Mirza-Reid)
- Tweet this
- Link this
- Share this
- Digg this
- Reprints
He’s going after Indian Point because it’s nuclear and people find that scary. The fact is it has a perfect safety record and the location, emergency plans, safeguards and inherent design of the PWR reactors precludes a Fukushima-like accident (which, even if it happened, would kill nobody and have minimal effect in NYC). It’s been a target for special interests for a long time. Yet it continues to produce safe, reliable and economical power.
What does he want? To replace it, at huge cost and pass that cost onto the rate payers. He wants to replace it with gas. No wonder this is the case – the gas lobby has been spending a lot on buying politicians. This will drastically increase greenhouse emissions, it will increase the cost of power. Gas is more expensive than nuclear energy. It will expose those in the area to the exhaust of the plant and the dangers it poses.
Why do people think gas is safe? A gas plant near me blew up a year ago. It rocked my house and killed six workers. Gas pipelines blow up and kill dozens every year. A natural gas plant poses a natural target for terrorists bombings. When malfunctions have caused massive gas explosions, the result is catastrophic. Gas can create an inferno with a massive flamethrower shooting out of the pipe head.
Not only is gas an expensive way of generating power, it also has some of the worst price volatility of any energy source. It’s every bit as bad as oil. Anyone remember dollar a gallon gasoline? Yeah, that was ten years ago – not such a long time, really. Natural gas fluctuates just as badly. It’s reasonably cheap now (because of economic factors and a reasonably secure supply) In a few years it could be five times the cost. Yes, it does fluctuate that much. Four years ago it was twice as expensive as now. In the late 1990′s it was many times the current cost.
You rely on gas and your screwed and up the creek as soon as prices spike again. A diplomatic conflict with Russia? a surge in demand in Canada? A pipeline ruptures somewhere? Gas prices will go through the roof and then you can have a genuine energy crisis. Yes, it has happened before.
Only an idiot would look at current gas prices and presume it means gas is an economically stable and reliable fuel. It’s not.
Of course Cuomo does not care. He just wants to keep the fear mongering up until he can secure the next election. The possibility of a gas plant disaster years down the road is not on his mind. It’s just scaring people to the polls when he needs them.
Follow Reuters