Over the past few months, there have been a number of news articles and blog postings about nuclear power in the United States, including some negative reports about the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, New York. Public debates are a good thing and, we believe, so are facts to help dispel myths.
Let's start with Indian Point which is a vital part of New York's energy mix. In fact, this facility has operated safely and reliably for over 30 years and provides about 25 percent of New York City's and Westchester's power, which enables the region to economically keep and grow jobs and to do so with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions, an important asset for any major metropolitan area.
Speaking of facts: The fact is, America's energy needs in any city are no different than in any other industrialized nation. And we're proud of our role in providing key elements of that overall power supply. France generates about 70 percent of its electricity from nuclear power and while nowhere near that level, the United States still leads the world in developing technologies for safe and efficient power generation.
As Energy Secretary Stephen Chu has said, America needs "a diverse set of energy sources, including renewables like wind and solar, natural gas, clean coal and nuclear power." We agree and understand that questions regarding nuclear power -- especially after the tragic events in Japan after the tsunami struck the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant -- need to be answered.
We've always been transparent about operations of our nuclear facilities and that's why, when critics raise issues, we believe the public should get all of the facts. And in context.
For example: the Indian Point facility provides lower cost power supplies than otherwise would be the case with so-called conventional energy production. This isn't us saying this, according to independent sources, including Consolidated Edison, New York City's and Westchester's electric rates would be higher without Indian Point's lower cost power.
A recent report conducted by independent experts for the City of New York Department of Environmental Protection stated that if Indian Point were to shut down, New York City consumers would pay between $2 billion and $3 billion in higher energy costs through 2030, while on a statewide basis consumers would pay between $10 billion and $12 billion in higher energy costs through the year 2030.
Another fact: Indian Point is safe. It is irresponsible to claim otherwise. We are fully committed to ensuring the safety of the facility and have invested over a billion dollars to upgrade and strengthen the plants in the last 10 years. Indian Point has layers upon layers of safety and security systems, so there are back-ups to the back-ups. And our operations are constantly reviewed by the independent experts at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who rank the plants' operations in the top quartile of all U.S. plants.
Independent experts in charge of New York's electric grid also have said that shutting down Indian Point without replacing the electricity it generates would lead to rolling blackouts in downstate New York. Despite the intent of some to mislead and misinform, what can be said without objection is that Indian Point safely and reliably provides about 25 percent of New York City's and Westchester's power, with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions, at lower cost than other power plants in the region.
Here's another fact: Contrary to what opponents may claim, the nuclear power industry is not heavily subsidized. The federal energy incentives the industry has received in the last ten years, which is primarily used for research and development, has been less than what other areas of energy has received, including oil, gas and renewable sources of power. It is also important to note that in Indian Point's case, we actually contribute over $75 million to state and local government entities.
We have been operating safely and providing clean, reliable, and lower cost power to the region for more than 30 years. We get it and understand that questions regarding nuclear power require further discussion and debate.
So let's continue those discussions and have transparent and fact-based conversations that present the public with the full picture about nuclear energy for America and ways to provide our country with a mix of environmentally sound, reliable and lower cost power.
Jim Steets currently serves as director of communications for Entergy Nuclear, supervising communications at six nuclear power plants in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Michigan.
Follow Jim Steets on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@indian_point
BUCHANAN – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has denied the majority of requests for exemptions from fire protection requirements at the Indian Point nuclear power plants in Buchanan.
Based on information from Entergy, the NRC has decided that most of the requests to substitute operator manual actions for fire protection features do not meet NRC’s criteria.
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2012/February/01/IP_fire_protect-01Feb12.htm
“Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant Seen As Particular Risk”
"A study by a group of prominent seismologists suggests that a pattern of subtle but active faults makes the risk of earthquakes to the New York City area substantially greater than formerly believed. Among other things, they say that the controversial Indian Point nuclear power plants, 24 miles north of the city, sit astride the previously unidentified intersection of two active seismic zones".
The paper appeared in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.
http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/2235
Indian Point - Just not worth the risks. Safety for millions or profits for a few?
13B$ cradle to grave per reactor.
$13 billion in cradle-to-grave subsidies and tax breaks,Â
http://www.citizen.org/cmep/article_redirect.cfm?ID=13779
http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_power/nuclear_power_and_global_warming/nuclear-power-subsidies-report.html
Representatives from Environment New York and Riverkeeper are releasing a report at Peekskill Landing that claims Indian Point threatens drinking water for more than 11 million people.
http://pleasantville.patch.com/articles/riverkeeper-reports-indian-point-threatens-drinking-water-for-new-yorkers
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/funds-fs.html
www.beyondnuclear.org
"From 2001-2004, thyroid cancer incidence in Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester (NY) counties was 14.3 per 100,000 persons. The rates for other NY state and the U.S. was 9.3 and 8.6, respectively, so the four-county rate was 54% and 67% greater, respectively. Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention"
"In 2001-2004, of the 51 most populated New York State counties, the thyroid cancer rate of counties closest to Indian Point were Rockland (1st highest), Orange (2nd highest), Putnam (3rd highest), and Westchester (8th highest)"
http://www.radiation.org/press/090311_pressrelease_fox.html
"A total of 992 persons in the four counties were diagnosed with thyroid cancer in these four years"
“In addition, a study by the Mother’s Milk Project shows that nearly all of 30 milk samples from breastfeeding mothers and goats within 50 miles of Indian Point reveal levels of strontium-90, with the highest results occurring closest to the nuclear plant located on the Hudson River in Buchanan, New York. Together with the NYS Health Department data, this suggests that emissions from Indian Point may be compromising the health of local residents”
http://www.clearwater.org/indianpoint021209-cw.html
It's astonishing how apparently lacking in moral compass proponents of nuclear power are.
Typical of most of the nuclear representives I've seen.
F+F BTW
It not like there been anything that happened with nuclear today...................OH WAIT
Byron in Chicago, scrammed, massive amount of steam....fireman on scene says smoke out of containment building..................
sure, perfectly safe
--Yeah, right. Just like your counterpart at VT Yankee claimed: We have no underground pipes carrying radioactivity. Where's the radioactive tritium in the groundwater and a drinking water well onsite coming from? Err, would you believe, the underground pipes we don't have? Or, how about: we promise if you give us this Uprate, we won't call the feds in to pre-empt in 2012 if the state tells us to shut down. Er, would you believe, we didn't really mean it? Or this one, we promise to monitor temperatures of the dry casks and report them regularly to the Dept. of Public Service. What? we haven't done that for over a year? I guess we "forgot". If these lies weren't so damaging, they'd be hilarious. Transparent, my ass!
Well said!
Hope to read many more comments from you!
Fanned and Fav'd!
Becoming less and less true at an absolutely phenomenal speed
"The largest solar plant can only produce a couple hundered MW for 8-12 hours a day"
When was it built?
The economic sense of solar will trump all other power sources in a single decade