NEI Notes: TVA is committed to completing Alabama reactor , at what costs? Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League's Science Director Lou Zeller comments in the New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/16/business/energy-environment/16nuclear.html?_r=1
"'Right now,' said Eric T. Beaumont, a nuclear expert and partner in Copia Capital, a private investment firm in Chicago, 'it doesn't seem like the most prudent use of money.'”
“'They should definitely be doing something different,'” said Louis A. Zeller, science director for the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, a regional advocacy group. He likes to call Bellefonte 'the zombie reactor' because it is neither dead nor alive.'"
"Mr. Zeller and other skeptics say that beyond the obvious challenges the nuclear industry faces, the Bellefonte 1 project has inescapable flaws. The reactor is too expensive and too antiquated, they contend, and it lies in an earthquake zone."
"CRAZY" "'Mr. Beaumont, the industry analyst, said that “based on cost, I absolutely think you can say it’s crazy.' But that assessment might change over time, he allowed."
"WE JUST KNOW WHEN WE GET THERE" (Comment by TVA's CEO Tom Kilgore) “I can’t forecast out 8 or 10 years,” Mr. Kilgore said, but “we just know when we get there, Bellefonte 1 is a good economic proposition.” Knowing "when we get there" will have cost the TVA's rate payers $8-9 billion dollars for Bellefonte Unit 1 if complete. A "when we get there" management style has resulted in TVA's massive debt. TVA has estimated it will cost approximately $4-$4.5 billion to complete the Bellefonte project. Costs do not consider radioactive hazardous waste storage, decommissioning the nuclear reactor site and special security for the nuclear site, costing additional billions of dollars. Which relates to higher electrical rates for area business and citizens.
TVA's debt is prohibitive of further expensive nuclear construction. TVA's management failures have cost U.S. Taxpayers and TVA Rate Payers dearly, 3 other TVA mothballed nuclear projects, Hartsville, Yellow Creek, and the Clinch River Breeder Reactor have resulted in massive TVA debt, an example of "we just know when we get there" management philosophy. TVA's current debt is approximately $25 billion, the interest on their debt is approximately $23 billion. Congress has established a $30 billion debt ceiling for the TVA.
Read about a better way. http://bestcleanenergy.blogspot.com/
An example of a better way ( GE Combined Solar - Wind - New Technology CCG Plant) http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/37715/ and a big solution if combined with hydro pumped storage energy sites, such as Raccoon Mt. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon_Mountain_Pumped-Storage_Plant
Regressive antiquated technology is risky for the citizens of the TVA region. TVA must set leadership examples utilizing sustainable energy and energy efficiency solutions for our 21st century future.
BEST/MATRR, a local chapter of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League.
We are environmental stewards, join us in our mission and journey
to protect our air, land and water by visiting: http://www.matrr.org
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