Is Nuclear Power back on the table in California?

California was one of the first states to enter the [tag-tec]nuclear power[/tag-tec] industry for energy production some 40 years ago. It was also one of the first to have huge debate over the [tag]nuclear[/tag] option which resulted in the shutdowns of several plants and a moratorium of nuclear power plant development in the state.

Now there are signs that nuclear power as an option for power generation in this age of high priced foreign oil and instability of the energy marketplace may be back on the table for discussion.

A bill that is under discussion by the California State legislature would lift that moratorium on new nuclear power plants in California. This would give hopes ot investors lining up to build a [tag-ice]nuclear power plant[/tag-ice] in the central valley of California. The central valley is of course undergoing tremendous population growth in recent years and thus the need for more energy production.

The bill is being carried by Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R)-Irvine who says that lifting the moratorium on nuclear plants before the federal government has a permanent storage option for spent fuel rods is necessary to meet the state’s demand for power.

Critics however abound in California for this type of proposal. Longtime critics of nuclear power point to the many concerns about nuclear power that originally led to this ban on new plants, such as the lack of long term storage options for spent fuel, concerns over seismic safety.

In a July poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, 39 percent of Californians surveyed said they supported the building of additional nuclear power plants, while 52 percent opposed the idea. A year earlier, the results were 33 percent in support and 59 percent opposed.

Opinions have shifted even more dramatically among likely voters. Last summer, that group was split down the middle at 46 percent on each side of the issue. In 2005, the result was 37 percent in support and 55 percent opposed.

“The notion of global warming has had all kinds of ripple effects and unintended consequences,” said Mark Baldassare, the institute’s chief executive officer.

SFGate

“The state must build more nuclear plants for cheap, non-carbon-emitting electricity,” said John Hutson, the Fresno Nuclear Energy Group’s chief executive. “Or the Legislature needs to provide an alternative. But at this point, there isn’t one.”

Mr. DeVore’s bill has gotten the attention of one mayor who wants to build a nuclear power plant in his city.

“The entire Southern California area is really in a precarious position in terms of energy consumption and energy needs,” said Terry Caldwell, mayor of Victorville in San Bernardino County. “And it’s only going to get worse before it gets better.”

Is this not classic knee jerk reaction to a situation. Let’s just forget the last twenty years of nuclear power history and just go with pie in the sky projections that safe storage will fall into our laps anytime soon.

Let’s be real, this is a ploy by Republicans to exploit the [tag]oil [/tag]situation in order to get something their constituents want despite the risk to the general population.