nuclear-news

Wisconsin doesn’t need expanded nuclear power

Groups question need for nuclear plant power boost By Thomas Content ,  Journal Sentine, Jan. 8, 2011 Wisconsin doesn’t need expanded power output from the Point Beach nuclear plant because the state has more than enough electricity to meet its needs, two advocacy groups said in a filing with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.NextEra Energy Resources Inc. has proposed expanding the total power output from the two-reactor plant by 17%. The plant supplies electricity to Milwaukee utility We Energies.

In a filing with the NRC Friday, the Wisconsin Citizens’ Utility Board and Clean Wisconsin raise questions about the plan, saying the NRC is relying on out-of-date information about the plant and its importance to the reliability of Wisconsin’s power grid.The public comment period on the proposal ended Saturday.
The NRC said the plant is needed to meet demand for power that’s growing by 2% a year, citing a 2008 Wisconsin report. But the recession cut demand for electricity, and the state said the growth rate in demand has slowed to 1% a year, the groups said.

The groups also say the NRC says the project is needed in light of a weak transmission grid in the state that forces Wisconsin to import power from Illinois.

But that is no longer the case following billions of dollars of investment by American Transmission Co. in the eastern Wisconsin power grid and construction of new power plants, the consumer and environmental groups said……

January 10, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | opposition to nuclear, USA