Too late for a well-managed shutdown of Indian Point nuclear plant?

Three options to replace Indian Point stand out. One, local fossil fuel sources such as natural gas could generate more electricity. Two, excess hydroelectric power or wind power generated upstate or in Canada could be transported downstate. And three, consumers could drastically cut their electricity use.

All appear relatively simple and, together, offer promise. But closer inspection shows there is a great deal of complexity involved……

Has Time Run Out to Replace Indian Point’s Nuclear Power? Reuters, 8 July 11, By Alice Kenny, SolveClimate News Editor’s Note: In this three-part series, SolveClimate News examines the feasibility of closing the Indian Point nuclear facility in Buchanan, N.Y. The plant, now up for relicensing, faces demands for a shutdown by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and many environmental groups. This is part two.

Renewed backlash against New York’s Indian Point nuclear plant in the wake of Japan’s disaster has forced politicians and energy experts in the state to again confront tough questions about how to permanently replace the facility’s electricity.

Now, with the plant up for relicensing, some observers warn that time may have run out for a well-managed and gradual shutdown of the complex, located just 24 miles from America’s most populous city……

All appear relatively simple and, together, offer promise. But closer inspection shows there is a great deal of complexity involved……

104–page report commissioned by the Department of Energy at the request of Congress in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and published by the National Academies in 2006.

The study, “Alternatives to the Indian Point Energy Center for Meeting New York Electric Power Needs,” cost over $1 million and took more than a year to complete. It included input from dozens of scientists, politicians and environmentalists, along with professionals from Indian Point, Con Edison and General Electric.

The report’s main conclusion was that if “sufficient resources were added,” then “Indian Point units could be retired at the end of their current operating licenses [2013 and 2015] without causing a major disruption of power capacity.”……

“The report does not propose a ‘single solution’ to the replacement of Indian Point,” the authors wrote. A replacement strategy “would most likely consist of a portfolio of approaches … including investments in energy efficiency, transmission and new generation.”

Despite the time, money and expertise put into completing the study, advocates say its recommendations have been ignored, leaving New York City nearly as dependent on Indian Point as it was in 2006………

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/08/idUS277322520720110708