NY Power Authority to Develop Nuclear Facility Upstate

Four years after Indian Point was decommissioned New York State has decided to reinvest in a potent form of clean energy. Governor Kathy Hochul onย  Monday directed the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to develop and construct a zero-emission advanced nuclear power plant in Upstate New York to support a reliable and affordable electric grid, while providing the necessary zero-emission electricity to achieve a clean energy economy.ย 

โ€œAs New York State electrifies its economy, deactivates aging fossil fuel power generation and continues to attract large manufacturers that create good-paying jobs, we must embrace an energy policy of abundance that centers on energy independence and supply chain security to ensure New York controls its energy future,โ€ Governor Hochul said. โ€œThis is the second time during my administration that I am calling on the New York Power Authority to lead a critical energy initiative, and just as it is doing with the expedited buildout of renewable energy and transmission, it will now safely and rapidly deploy clean, reliable nuclear power for the benefit of all New Yorkers.โ€

NYPA, in coordination with the Department of Public Service (DPS), will seek to develop at least one new nuclear energy facility with a combined capacity of no less than one gigawatt of electricity, either alone or in partnership with private entities, to support the stateโ€™s electric grid and the people and businesses that rely on it.

NYPA will immediately begin evaluation of technologies, business models, and locations for this first nuclear power plant and will secure the key partnerships needed for the project. This process will include site and technology feasibility assessments as well as consideration of financing options, in coordination with the forthcoming studies included in the master plan for Responsible Advanced Nuclear Development in New York, led by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and DPS. Candidate locations will be assessed for suitability based on public safety, strength of community support, compatibility with existing infrastructure, as well as skilled labor and land availability.

Governor Hochulโ€™s decision has been met t with enthusiasm from leading voices in New Yorkโ€™s economic sector, including the Manufacturers Association of Central New York who have stated that nuclear energy will play a key role inย  supporting fast-growing, high-tech industry sectors such asย  microchips, AI, and biotechnology; some environmental advocacy groups, including, the Clean Air Task Force, were enthused that the state is transitioning to a power source unreliant on fossil fuels.ย 

Detractors have expressed concerns that expanding the states output of nuclear power could prompt a different sort of environmental damage as state and local governments scramble to find safe and permanentย  storage options for nuclear waste.ย 

On Wednesday of last week, the Supreme Court, in a split decision of 6-3, declined to decide if the Nuclear Regulatory Commissionย  has the right to licence privately owned โ€˜ Consolidated Interimโ€™ Storage (CIS) sites. The courtโ€™s decision effectively allows the NRC to continue contracting third parties to establish temporary dumping grounds for nuclear waste, a move that many environmental advocates, including the Sierra Club, warned is inherently dangerous. According to standards set by theย  The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, the NWPA only allows irradiated (โ€œspentโ€) nuclear fuel to be stored in two types of locations: at a commercial nuclear reactor site; or at a federally owned interim storage site for up to 1,900 tonnes of irradiated fuel. The Supreme Courtโ€™s decision that the plaintiff in last weeks case, the state of Texas and Fasken Land and Minerals, did not have the authority to challenge a licence granted by a Federal Regulatory Agency, leaves the status of CISโ€™ in a legal limbo. Pending further litigation, it is possible that any waste generated by New Yorkโ€™s current and future nuclear plants could be stored in conditions defined as unsafe by the NWPA. ย 

As Governor Hochul continues her push to transition the New York to a carbon neutral economy she and her administration must weigh the dangers of nuclear waste against the long term damage of burning fossil fuels and the limitations of wind and solar power.ย 

 

You must be logged in to post a comment Login