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U.S. government warns on climate change threat to nuclear and coal power plants

US power plants at risk from climate change, government says SMH, July 12, 2013  Power plants across the US are at increased risk of temporary shutdown and reduced power generation as temperatures and sea levels continue to rise and water becomes less available, the country’s Department of Energy said.

By 2030, there will be nearly $US1 trillion in energy assets in the Gulf region alone at risk from increasingly costly extreme hurricanes and sea-level rises, according to the Energy Department report on the impact of climate change on energy infrastructure.

“As President Obama said in his speech last month, climate change is happening,” said spokeswoman April Saylor in a statement. “As climate change makes the weather more extreme, we have a moral obligation to prepare the country for its effects.”

The report calls on federal, state and local governments to more urgently prepare critical infrastructure – particularly coal, natural gas and nuclear plants – for the compounded risks posed by floods, storms, wildfires and droughts…….

Greenpeace USA spokesman Robert Gardner said the administration’s focus should primarily be transitioning to wind and solar technology, not relying on fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

“The question is why the Department of Energy is really focusing on continuing the problem which has caused this tidal wave of global warming,” said Gardner. : http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/us-power-plants-at-risk-from-climate-change-government-says-20130712-2pv6h.html#ixzz2YxjjqAdb

July 13, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, USA