Panel likely to propose more nuclear power plants

By TIMES WIRES
Published July 10, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Florida should consider building more nuclear power plants and even contemplate constructing a facility to recycle nuclear waste into fuel, a panel examining the state's energy future says.

The Florida Energy Commission's advisory committee likely will recommend that nuclear be a big part of that future, in light of concerns about coal contributing to global warming.

One of the obstacles to building nuclear power plants is the question of what to do with the spent fuel. Currently, much of that waste is set to eventually be taken to the national Yucca Mountain Repository in Nevada, which won't hold it all. There's also opposition to storing it there.

Last year, the Bush administration proposed reviving nuclear fuel reprocessing. Recycling fuel, which contains 90 percent of its original energy after one use, can reduce waste.

"Do we want to put (the waste) into salt mines for eternity or do we want to make use of it as a fuel?" said J. Sam Bell, chairman of the committee.

The United States stopped reprocessing nuclear waste in the 1970s because that produces a plutonium that's nearer to weapons grade, raising fears about nuclear terrorism or proliferation.

Several members of the panel said knowledge about the reprocessing technology is lacking, so it needs to be studied more before committing Florida to taking a leading role.

Along with security concerns, some groups have questioned whether reprocessing is a legitimate answer to the nuclear waste problem, noting that it is expensive and still leaves waste.

What to do with the safety, security and waste aren't the only obstacles to more nuclear plants -- there's also the huge capital costs in building them. The last nuclear plant in the United States, opened in 1996 in Tennessee after 22 years of construction, cost $7-billion.

The panel's discussions also included whether state policy should embrace coal as an option for the state's electric power future, a touchy subject considering recent statements by Gov. Charlie Crist that he thinks coal's future is shaky because of global warming. Also, state regulators recently rejected a proposed new coal plant for the state's largest utility, Florida Power & Light, although it was primarily on economic grounds.

Electric industry officials say new technology makes coal much cleaner, and some members of the panel said they hope the state doesn't discount coal entirely -- because it's such an abundant and cheap fuel source.

[Last modified July 9, 2007, 22:46:19]