New York can use nuclear power
Governor Hochul finally ordered the State Power Authority to build a new nuclear power plant in the North, a movement long expected, came just as New York has transpired through the worst heat wave in memory with explosive air conditioners and cut down drops.
New York really needs juice and we always suffer from 2021 Closure of the Indian nuclear power plantwhich generated 25% of the city’s electricity. Since this source of clean and reliable energy has disappeared, not thanks to the then. Andrew Cuomo, we are counting more and more on the fire of fossil fuels, despite the fact that New York state has set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is the policy in contradiction with itself.
The new nuclear power plant must have a combined capacity of at least one gigawatt of electricity, or enough to supply up to a million houses.
Of course, it will not be like building housing or a school or even a factory. There are reasons that the United States had added about no nuclear capacity in recent yearsIronically, the even period during which America is increasingly focused on the threat of climate change.
The last two factories of the chronology were the commissioning of Watts Bar, whose construction began in 1973, in Tennessee in 2016, then the opening of Vogtle Unit 3 in Georgia in 2023. Exactly zero nuclear power plants had occurred online in the 20 years preceding the Watts bar – which was very healthy of 20 years in which new plants have made a point Between 1970 and 1990.
These reasons include: high construction costs, the increase in cheaper alternatives such as natural gas, complex regulatory regimes, license and license delays, and more. The nypa under Hochul will have to face it all and win. It will be a real test of their management courage.
Energy conservation is a noble idea, but economic growth invariably leads to a need of more power. American electricity consumption rises and rises, not only because of heating and cooling needs, but due to the electrification of the transport sector, the rise of AI and more. Renewable sources such as wind and solar – in particular solar energy – come together in part. While natural gas remains the dominant source, renewable energies have reached almost 45% of the electricity production mixture. But it is not enough.
Nuclear, which now represents around 19% of American energy production, has a vital role to play. It is continuous and reliable, delivering when it is windy or sunny or not. He does not accelerate global warming. Uranium supplies are abundant and their prices are not as volatile as prices for other fuels.
And although the elimination of nuclear waste is a challenge, it is very manageable compared to the long -term risks associated with fossil fuels. And with regard to the security risks associated with frightening words like Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, the design of nuclear reactors has become far, much better during decades. It is a safe power source.
So congratulations to the governor for trying to release fission energy for our state. The affordable and affordable energy that it pursues will be an invisible boon for the economy of New York. It cannot come early enough the transmission lines.
