Nuclear Plant Foes Prepare for Fight
May 23 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Opponents of nuclear power are gearing up for a big fight over changes to the state's nuclear moratorium.
Nuclear plants are just too expensive to build, opponents say,
and the lack of a resolution to the nuclear industry's waste problem
means the time hasn't arrived to reconsider a Wisconsin policy that's
been in place for 25 years that, in effect, bans construction of new reactors.
No bills to change the state's nuclear moratorium have yet been
introduced, but opponents are reacting to increased lobbying by the
nuclear industry in the state.
Wisconsin's utilities say nuclear power, which generates no
greenhouse gas emissions, must be at least on the table for
> consideration as the nation and state move toward regulating heat-
> trapping gases like carbon dioxide.
>
> But a coalition of 12 environmental groups has sent a letter to
> Gov.
> Jim Doyle and the Legislature in response to a big push earlier this
> spring made by the Nuclear Energy Institute and others to overturn the
> state's ban on construction of nuclear reactors.
>
> "We feel that there has been a clear shot across the bow," said
> Pam Kleiss, executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility
> Wisconsin.
>
> The anti-nuclear effort follows a legislative hearing held near
> the state's two nuclear plants this year where many testified in favor
> of allowing nuclear plants to be built. Supporters of nuclear power at
> that hearing included Patrick Moore, a co-founder of Greenpeace who
> now is working for an energy coalition funded by the Nuclear Energy
> Institute.
>
> "Given nuclear power's high costs and its legacy of nuclear
> waste, expanding the use of nuclear power is not a responsible choice
> for meeting future electricity needs in Wisconsin," the physicians
> group and other groups said in a letter to Gov. Jim Doyle and members
> of the Legislature.
> "We urge you to oppose legislation that promotes nuclear power in our
> state until each of these substantive and cost issues is addressed."
>
> Since 2005, a report from the group WISPIRG says, the cost of new
> reactors has tripled -- outpacing the increases in other types of
> power generation.
>
> The high price of nuclear power has resulted in companies around
> the world scrapping plans for new reactors. But prices have eased as
> material and construction prices have dipped with the recession, the
> Royal Bank of Scotland says, according to Bloomberg News.
>
> The price of nuclear reactors had increased to as much as $7,000
> a kilowatt but has fallen back to $4,138, a utilities expert at the
> bank said.
> At today's price per kilowatt, nuclear is still more expensive than
> other forms of generation, including coal plants.
>
> A global-warming bill that Wisconsin legislators may consider
> this year is expected to include provisions that would relax the
> state's ban on building nuclear plants.
>
> But construction of nuclear plants would only occur if the state
> commits to expanding energy efficiency funding and supplying 25% of
> its electricity from wind turbines, waste-to-energy systems, dams and
> other forms of renewable energy by 2025.
>
> Some of the groups opposed to nuclear power signed on to those
> recommendations last year when they supported recommendations of the
> state's global warming task force.
>
> If the state's nuclear moratorium is amended, no nuclear plants
> would be on the horizon anytime soon, given the fact that the state
> has ample power reserves to meet demand and that power use has fallen
> with the recession.
>
> But supporters of nuclear power are also getting the word out.
>
> A group of utilities and other businesses, which formed a
> coalition this year called Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin's
> Economy, supports relaxing the ban on building nuclear plants. The
> group says relaxing the ban "allows balanced consideration of the
> environmental benefits of reduced GHG emissions against issues of
> nuclear waste disposal."
>
> Residents of northeastern Wisconsin this month testified in
> Madison against a bill that could lead to more wind power development
> but said they would prefer to see the state -- and their region -- add
> more nuclear plants. Wisconsin's three commercial reactors are located
> along Lake Michigan in Manitowoc and Kewaunee counties.
>
> "We host two very valuable, highly efficient nuclear plants in
> our general community," said Manitowoc County Executive Bob
> Ziegelbauer, who's also a state representative. "If you're serious
> about low-cost energy . . .
> we'd love to put one more between the two we have now."
>
Opponents of nuclear power are gearing up for a big fight over changes to the state's nuclear moratorium.
Nuclear plants are just too expensive to build, opponents say,
and the lack of a resolution to the nuclear industry's waste problem
means the time hasn't arrived to reconsider a Wisconsin policy that's
been in place for 25 years that, in effect, bans construction of new reactors.
No bills to change the state's nuclear moratorium have yet been
introduced, but opponents are reacting to increased lobbying by the
nuclear industry in the state.
Wisconsin's utilities say nuclear power, which generates no
greenhouse gas emissions, must be at least on the table for
> consideration as the nation and state move toward regulating heat-
> trapping gases like carbon dioxide.
>
> But a coalition of 12 environmental groups has sent a letter to
> Gov.
> Jim Doyle and the Legislature in response to a big push earlier this
> spring made by the Nuclear Energy Institute and others to overturn the
> state's ban on construction of nuclear reactors.
>
> "We feel that there has been a clear shot across the bow," said
> Pam Kleiss, executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility
> Wisconsin.
>
> The anti-nuclear effort follows a legislative hearing held near
> the state's two nuclear plants this year where many testified in favor
> of allowing nuclear plants to be built. Supporters of nuclear power at
> that hearing included Patrick Moore, a co-founder of Greenpeace who
> now is working for an energy coalition funded by the Nuclear Energy
> Institute.
>
> "Given nuclear power's high costs and its legacy of nuclear
> waste, expanding the use of nuclear power is not a responsible choice
> for meeting future electricity needs in Wisconsin," the physicians
> group and other groups said in a letter to Gov. Jim Doyle and members
> of the Legislature.
> "We urge you to oppose legislation that promotes nuclear power in our
> state until each of these substantive and cost issues is addressed."
>
> Since 2005, a report from the group WISPIRG says, the cost of new
> reactors has tripled -- outpacing the increases in other types of
> power generation.
>
> The high price of nuclear power has resulted in companies around
> the world scrapping plans for new reactors. But prices have eased as
> material and construction prices have dipped with the recession, the
> Royal Bank of Scotland says, according to Bloomberg News.
>
> The price of nuclear reactors had increased to as much as $7,000
> a kilowatt but has fallen back to $4,138, a utilities expert at the
> bank said.
> At today's price per kilowatt, nuclear is still more expensive than
> other forms of generation, including coal plants.
>
> A global-warming bill that Wisconsin legislators may consider
> this year is expected to include provisions that would relax the
> state's ban on building nuclear plants.
>
> But construction of nuclear plants would only occur if the state
> commits to expanding energy efficiency funding and supplying 25% of
> its electricity from wind turbines, waste-to-energy systems, dams and
> other forms of renewable energy by 2025.
>
> Some of the groups opposed to nuclear power signed on to those
> recommendations last year when they supported recommendations of the
> state's global warming task force.
>
> If the state's nuclear moratorium is amended, no nuclear plants
> would be on the horizon anytime soon, given the fact that the state
> has ample power reserves to meet demand and that power use has fallen
> with the recession.
>
> But supporters of nuclear power are also getting the word out.
>
> A group of utilities and other businesses, which formed a
> coalition this year called Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin's
> Economy, supports relaxing the ban on building nuclear plants. The
> group says relaxing the ban "allows balanced consideration of the
> environmental benefits of reduced GHG emissions against issues of
> nuclear waste disposal."
>
> Residents of northeastern Wisconsin this month testified in
> Madison against a bill that could lead to more wind power development
> but said they would prefer to see the state -- and their region -- add
> more nuclear plants. Wisconsin's three commercial reactors are located
> along Lake Michigan in Manitowoc and Kewaunee counties.
>
> "We host two very valuable, highly efficient nuclear plants in
> our general community," said Manitowoc County Executive Bob
> Ziegelbauer, who's also a state representative. "If you're serious
> about low-cost energy . . .
> we'd love to put one more between the two we have now."
>