Not anytime soon, energy analysts say
Gothamist: New York is trying to go nuclear.
As the Empire State struggles to meet demand for clean energy, there’s been renewed interest in the atom-splitting power source. In June, Gov. Kathy Hochul committed to building at least 1 gigawatt, enough to power about 1 million homes.
Experts refer to the renewed interest as a “nuclear renaissance”.
But nuclear experts warn that building a functioning nuclear power plant is a long, expensive endeavor that is difficult to locate, regardless of reactor size. The Union of Concerned Scientists also pointed out that there are still safety concerns even with new technology, and that renewable energy sources are a far safer, cost-effective option.
“It’s a low-carbon emissions source, but you have to put in the context of other types of electricity generation that are also low-carbon, but have fewer of the costs and risks like most renewables,” said Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Nuclear power is still a very expensive option.”
THE NEW GENERATION OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
The traditional nuclear power plant was made up of one or more reactors, each with about 1 gigawatt of power. Indian Point, which former Gov. Andrew Cuomo shuttered in 2021, had two reactors and was good for about 2,000 megawatts for New York City, or roughly 25% of the city’s demand. Much of that power now comes from fossil fuels.
At the New York City Nuclear Symposium held during last month’s Climate Week, the trends pointed to smaller reactors, ranging from 300 megawatt modular units that can replace a gas-fired facility to a 5-megawatt micro-reactor that could power small rural communities.
“If we’re going to be replacing coal plants or older plants that are shutting down, that are smaller, we don’t need to come in with a gigawatt scale,” said Doug True, chief nuclear officer at the Nuclear Energy Institute.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are currently no modular reactors in the United States, but on the other side of Lake Ontario, Canada started building the first of four modular units last spring. Ontario Power Generation, the plant owner, estimates construction time at two to three years, but it won’t be operational until 2030. The cost of the first reactor will be about $4.4 billion with the total for all four reactors coming in around $15 billion and around a decade to build. All four units will bring in around the same power as a traditional reactor at roughly the same cost and construction time.
Last month, Politico reported that Holtec had a plan to restart Indian Point’s nuclear facility, which the company is actively decommissioning. The proposal was to build a 300 megawatt modular reactor at a cost of $10 billion on a four-year construction timeline.
SAFETY ISSUES
While Trump has voiced support for nuclear power, he’s shown less interest in the rigorous safety protocols that go with it. He issued an executive order in May to “reform” the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, criticizing its “prolonged timelines” and its safety standard that states there is no safe threshold of radiation exposure. The order states that radiation standards “produce irrational results, such as requiring that nuclear plants protect against radiation below naturally occurring levels.”
Lyman expressed concern for the integrity of Trump’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review projects rigorously and do its job independently to ensure new nuclear projects are safe.
”The Trump administration … has essentially commanded the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to weaken all its safety and security regulations.” Lyman said. “We’re going in a very dangerous direction. My message to New York is you can’t trust the federal government as it’s currently headed to safely license nuclear reactors anywhere in the country, including New York state.”
Reactors require extensive protection from leaks, accidents and attacks, and there still isn’t a sustainable way to store radioactive waste, according to Lyman and other scientists.
