Faced with the prospect of electricity demand rising 80 percent above normal use on hot days, the probability of New York having blackouts or brownouts is very real. The impacts would be devastating for the millions of New York residents and vital medical, food service, and transportation industries. Air conditioner users – worry not. In late May, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) indicated it would be ready to meet peak demand this summer. As of today, NYISO has met this burden.
“The development of new demand response resources and the addition of generation and expansion of interstate transmission over the past several years have contributed to a more reliable system. As a result, the state has sufficient generating capacity and demand side resources to address expected peak usage this summer,” said NYISO President and CEO Stephen G. Whitley.
Ratepayers and air quality enthusiasts, however, do have reason to worry. Hazy and humid days require cooling off for our most vulnerable populations, including seniors and people afflicted with asthma. Unlike dirty fossil fuel plants, nuclear power does not contribute to electricity price spikes or toxic air emissions. In fact, nuclear energy is not only safe, but arguably the sole reason why our electrical system is so reliable in New York State.
NYISO agrees. At a NYS Assembly hearing, they stated, all things equal, without Indian Point, they “would have to shed load.” In laymen terms, this means cascading blackouts.”
Regardless of where you stand on nuclear power, the facts support the plant. In this extreme weather environment of heat wave after heat wave, and the rising prospect of transitioning to electricity as a fuel source, we need protect the assets which protect our environment and sustain our economy. This includes the continued operation and license renewal for Indian Point.
Thanks to NYISO and Indian Point we can stay cool and keep the lights on this summer and beyond.
For more tips on energy savings, see my previous blog on Patch.com.
From the NRC site: However, while they are decaying, they emit radiation. Some isotopes decay in hours or even minutes, but others decay very slowly. Strontium-90 and cesium-137 have half-lives of about 30 years (that means that half the radioactivity of a given quantity of strontium-90, for example, will decay in 30 years). Plutonium-239 has a half-life of 24,000 years. High-level wastes are hazardous to humans and other life forms because of their high radiation levels that are capable of producing fatal doses during short periods of direct exposure. For example, ten years after removal from a reactor, the surface dose rate for a typical spent fuel assembly exceeds 10,000 rem/hour, whereas a fatal whole-body dose for humans is about 500 rem (if received all at one time). Furthermore, if constituents of these high-level wastes were to get into ground water or rivers, they could enter into food chains. Although the dose produced through this indirect exposure is much smaller than a direct exposure dose, there is a greater potential for a larger population to be exposed. http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/radwaste.html
I believe we do need IP right now because the infrastructure was built around it but we need a plan to dismantle it, as it's just too dangerous due to where it's located. As to wind, solar, waves they're all viable and anyone who believes that the technology will not improve significantly over the next ten years lacks vision. Rice university has already developed a solar cell/battery that can be applied like paint to the outside of your house. No it's not on the market and won't be for years but it will happen and then someday we'll be able to shut down every nuclear, coal and gas powered plant in the Country and breath a little easier.
The Federal Govt in effect owns/controls all of the spent fuel rods. The idea behind civilian Nuclear Plants was to not only to produce electricity, but to provide a source of Plutonium. The Plutonium was then supposed to be taken by the Federal Govt and used to produce Nuclear Weapons, or safely stored for later use. In the old Cold War Era, this made a lot of sense, Civilian Reactors would generate Electricity and Plutonium. Problem was we don't make very many Bombs anymore. The Feds decided they were no longer interested in collecting the spent rods, so Entergy and other operators are stuck with storing the Plutonium on site. Plutonium is the most toxic substance known. Yes, I would feel more comfortable with a Natural Gas plant on that site.