Local group opposes possible new nuclear plant

By Justin Myers

Published Feb. 29, 2008

Citizens need to oppose the possible construction of a new nuclear power plant in mid-Missouri, said Missourians for Safe Energy co-founder Mark Haim in a talk Wednesday evening in the Boone County Government Center.

MSE organized the talk to inform the public of the ecological and economic effects of nuclear power. The discussion focused on AmerenUE’s intention to apply for a license for a new nuclear power plant that might be built near its existing nuclear plant in neighboring Callaway County.

The utility is applying for the license “to ensure our eligibility for the incentives provided by the Energy Policy Act (of 2005) if we do decide to build such a plant in the future,” AmerenUE spokesman Mike Cleary said in an e-mail. “It does not represent a decision to build.”

While the talk briefly explained some hazards of nuclear energy, such as susceptibility to terrorist attacks and releases of harmful radiation, Haim focused more on the economic disadvantages of investing in the technology.

He said both “technological optimists” and “technological skeptics” might be able to agree on those arguments.

“We should follow an economically viable strategy to deal with our energy problems to deal with global climate change,” he said.

Haim said the federal government shouldn’t continue to provide incentives for utilities to build new nuclear plants when other technologies, such as wind and solar power, are readily available.

“Nuclear power is an impediment to getting to the best of the alternatives,” Haim said.

Cleary said the federal government’s programs place nuclear energy on an equal footing with other sources of emission-free power.

Haim called the Midwest particularly well suited to wind power.

“The Great Plains are essentially the Saudi Arabia of wind,” he said.

Cleary cited recent upgrades to the utility’s hydroelectric plants and an upcoming assessment of renewable energy resources.

“AmerenUE supports renewable energy where it is technologically and economically feasible,” he said. “Once we identify the resources with the most technical and economic potential, we will implement a plan to develop those resources.”

Junior Kelly Shuman, a member of MSE, MU’s hydrogen car team and Sustain Mizzou, said he was pleased with the turnout.

Shuman said he intends to help Renew Missouri, which distributed information at the event, with a newly certified initiative petition that would require certain utilities to obtain a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources.

Cleary said AmerenUE is concerned about the proposed measures’ limits on how much utilities would be allowed to raise rates to recover the costs of compliance.

Haim stressed the need for citizens to take a stand against the proposed plant.

“Right now, citizen activism is the needed ingredient if we have any hope of stopping AmerenUE,” he said.

Cleary said the utility plans to spend almost $56 million on energy efficiency programs by the year 2015.

“That level of spending by AmerenUE should place Missouri among the nation’s top 10 states in per capita investment in energy efficiency programs,” he said.

Haim said utilities are more aware of climate change than they once were.

“The same utilities that are now talking about building new power plants were in denial about global climate change,” he said. “I’m glad to see they’ve woken up to reality.”