I though this was what REACH was getting paid to do...
We need a Green Nuclear Deal! @campaign_GND
Justin- I’ve talked with you several times about clean energy, and although I agree that we should use EVERY solution possible (and innovate them all), there are obvious disadvantages with certain forms of intermittent energy supplies. We need more nuclear. Battery storage will not be enough to compensate for more solar. It is not enough right now.
Being honest about the limitations of renewables does not correlate to “climate hating.”
This all looks so amazing!
Billy, Jim, and Clovis Dad are all spot on.
Once again Jane, your information is incorrect. PG&E only said *they* don’t need electricity from Diablo Canyon. Two reasons- 1) they are losing customers to community choice aggregators, similar to Central Coast Clean Energy, and 2) the state policies that require a certain percentage of “renewables” (a political definition) don’t allow for PG&E to have carbon-free nuclear in addition to the high percentage of renewables. Again, because they are losing customers (and nuclear becomes a larger percentage of their entire portfolio).
Tour statements about once-through cooling, the idea of cooling towers, and the reason for the “excuse for compliance” are all mixed up and misinterpreted as well. I thought at least you would know those details.
Did you know that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently granted emergency license extensions foe three years to a bunch of natural gas plants in Southern California? It’s pretty obvious California does not have enough electricity, let alone clean electricity.
Do you care about climate change? If yes, I’d suggest you put your energy towards fighting natural gas because california seems to be choosing to use more and more of it. Do you know about Aliso Canyon? Complete disaster. We have more and more information about the damage cause by expansion of natural gas, not just due to burning it in power plants. The transmission and distribution (and storage, like Aliso Canyon) systems are plagued with unstoppable leakage, and the extraction process using fracking is more and more impactful in terms of water quality, waste, and disturbance of the natural surrounding environment.
I think we want the same thing- a planet and future for our children that is as good (or better!) than what we had. I just worry that you’re protesting the wrong thing and actually making that goal harder to reach.
Jane, these claims of Diablo harming the marine environment are completely wrong, and I think you know it. We know that you care about man-made radioisotopes and fear that they are more dangerous than “natural” radiation. This isn’t true either, but I’ll leave that alone because that’s not the subject of your article.
Sounds like you wasted money on a study if all they found was that water comes out hotter than it goes in. Yes, that’s how the system works, to cool and raise efficiency of the plant that generates nearly 10% of all of California’s electricity. Like all operations at the plant, the discharge temperature is closely monitored, and governed by permits issued by NPDES. The maximum limit on the permit is 20degf, so naturally, the plant operates below that limit with margin given for minor fluctuations.
Regardless of the actual temperature rise, which you exaggerate, the claim that “more than a billion fish in early life stages” are harmed is irrelevant.
Ask any marine biologist - why do fish lay so many eggs? Why do fish have so many larva?
The answer - because only a few survive. This is a natural way for fish to safeguard the continuation of their species. The marine biologist will also tell you - the way you measure the health of a fish population is by measuring the adults. As long as there are enough adults, it’s evident that the species is surviving and thriving. So, the real measure of the degree that Diablo is a “marine life killer” is the health of the adult populations surrounding the plant, which has been shown over and over in numerous studies by all sorts of groups, neutral and against Diablo.
The marine environment around Diablo is one of the most pristine and thriving on the entire west coast of the US (also according to marine biologists from UC Santa Cruz). So, if you want to keep protesting Diablo, at least leave the marine environment out of it, because that’s the opposite of the point you want to make.
Re: “The county needs to join 3CE”
Just because you might not like nuclear power doesn't mean you can just make stuff up and say whatever you want. There is no declining need for energy, and specifically for emission-free electricity. Have you looked recently at California's supply? It's nearly 50% natural gas, and 30% "unspecified" (i.e. potentially dirty) imports. We need more clean electricity, not less, and if we close Diablo Canyon, we're simply digging a bigger hole.
And what really, do *you* know about electricity pricing? It's very complex, and I don't totally understand it either, but you can't make simple comments like "it's above market value" when that is actually pretty clearly the opposite. Diablo Canyon makes electricity for 3 cents per kwh. That's pretty much the cheapest it gets. But that doesn't actually matter much, given lots of market conditions and policies in california, which you also mention. DCPP electricity gets bid into the day ahead market for zero cents. Yes, PG&E is raising rates. And rates will go up even more if they have to procure more clean electricity (that's far more than 3 c/kwh) to try and replace diablo. Guess what? Solar and wind don't work all the time, and when you factor in costs of storage, the price goes up even more.
I would love to talk with you more about this issue Marty - I know you've been outspoken for a while. I think we care about the same things, and I hope that even though it's hard, you might be willing to reexamine some of your assumptions. You might find, like I did, that nuclear aligns amazingly well with your environmental and humanitarian values, and that other sources of energy and programs that promise clean energy aren't what they seem and even create environmental and social justice issues.