EnergyBiz - November/December 2007 - (Page 12)

» FInAnCIAL FRont The Need for Nuclear ChriStinE todd whitMAn ASSuMES SpokESwoMAn rolE by MArtin roSEnbErg VIsIt the CaseNerGy CoalItIoN web sIte aNd you spot the pICture of smiling politico Christine Todd Whitman, the former secretary of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, somewhat incongruously next to a snapshot of activist Patrick Moore, co-founder of the Greenpeace environmental group. Now, the unlikely pair co-chairs the coalition, supported by the Nuclear Energy Institute, and advocate for nuclear power. Call it an example of how an increasingly complicated energy world is forging novel alliances. Whitman, the former governor of New Jersey, recently talked with EnergyBiz, and her edited comments follow. ENERGYBIZ What is the main obstacle today to development of nuclear power plants? WHitMan The biggest concern raised is what are we going to do with the spent fuel rods, given the Senate’s inability to move forward on Yucca Mountain as the designated repository for the nation. christine Todd Whitman PHoto courtEsy of casEnErgy coalition What is the answer to that? It’s going to be tough. We’ve got to get a vigorous discussion going. ENERGYBIZ WHitMan How do we solve the waste issue? We have to show a much greater commitment than we have to recycling. Spent nuclear fuel rods still have 96 percent of their fissionable material, which is usable power. The French through recycling get it down to about 2 to 3 percent. We just haven’t been at the cutting edge of this now since the 1970s when we turned our back on nuclear. ENERGYBIZ WHitMan ENERGYBIZ Mayor Rudy Giuliani talks about the need for nuclear power. How about the other candidates? WHitMan Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are both supportive. John Edwards is absolutely against it. But Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney have all been supportive of nuclear. ENERGYBIZ The federal government is gearing up for a wave of new nuclear license applications. Is the momentum unstoppable? WHitMan I don’t think it’s unstoppable, no. Right now if you ask people in general about nuclear, you get around 58 percent who say nuclear ought to be part of our future. When you educate them a little bit, that goes up dramatically to 70 percent or so. When it comes to the actual siting, it depends on where they are locating it. If it’s a new site, you’re probably going to get a lot more pushback. And what about replacing retiring facilities? That’s got to go on, too. But we’ve been out of the business for so long, there are only a few places in the world that manufacture some of the key parts. Everybody that’s going nuclear now is in the line to get those parts. ENERGYBIZ WHitMan ENERGYBIZ Are the workers out there to build new nuclear projects? WHitMan Well, the unions will tell you they’ve got them. The Navy will say they’ve got well-trained nuclear engineers who have been on our nuclear subs for How many nuclear plants are needed? If what the Department of Energy says is right about a 40 percent increase in demand by 2030 for electricity, you have to build anywhere between 30 and 50 new nuclear facilities. That is if they will continue to provide 20 percent of electricity. ENERGYBIZ WHitMan 12 E n E rgyB i z November/December 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EnergyBiz - November/December 2007

EnergyBiz - November/December 2007 Contents Continental Grid Vision Needed Readers’ Views and Opinions Next for National Grid Clearing the Air The Need for Nuclear Energy Trade Status Report The Innovators California On The Leading Edge FERC Sparks Change Getting Coal Right Leadership in Times of Turmoil Innovation Delivers Return A Tale of Two IPOs LNGs Bright Prospects Generation Techologies The Age of Superconductors Leaders with Vision Get Ready for Plug-in Hybrids Betting on Batteries Cost of Decarbonizing Nuclear Helmsman – A chat with Dale Klein, Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Global Energy Snapshot; Low-Income Energy Help; IT Spending Robust; The Greening of State Regulators; Generating Support Simplifying Offshore Wind Regs Chasing Construction Costs Energy Agency Sets New Course Deregulation Means Higher Rates Go-To Staffer Nightmare in Manhatten

EnergyBiz - November/December 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.