Sep 2, 2006 12:01 pm US/Central
TXU's Nuclear, Coal Plants Generating Criticism
by Bud Gillett
GLEN ROSE, TX (CBS 11 News) ―
Terrorist concerns and environmental safety worries are just two criticisms facing TXU after it announced plans to build 3 nuclear and 11 coal-fired generating plants.
According to TXU spokesperson Chris Schein, the plan would provide more and lower the cost of electricity. Schein says a power industry survey shows huge new user demands for electricity in the near future. "Between now and the next decade, we're going to have about 6 million people moving to Texas," Schein said. "That 6 million represents about the entire state of Tennessee."
Statewide power demands nearly reached capacity this summer. Because of natural gas hikes, TXU says 11 new coal-fired plants will ease near-term demands, but nuclear has the power to answer long-term needs.
"All the nuclear plants are among the largest generators you can have," Schein said. "It's also the most efficient power generation out there."
Twenty years in the making, Comanche Peak is the most recent nuclear power plant built in the United States. At $11 billion, it was a dozen times its original estimate.
The plant gives almost no air-borne pollutants. But it's other by-products, plutonium, cause others to worry.
State Representative Lon Burnham said, "We've been in the nuclear age since 1945, and we still have not resolved the issue of what do we do with this essentially permanent hazardous waste." The nationwide practice is to store spent fuel on-site.
Though there are no reported thefts in this country, Rep. Burnham says, "The truth is we have plutonium that is missing internationally; the truth is we have not managed this stockpile; and the truth is we have not resolved what to do with the waste."
"We're firmly convinced the federal government will come up with a solution," Schein said.
"We need to back up. We need the public sector to evaluate what our energy needs are, and we need the public sector to decide at what rate we move forward," Rep. Burnham said.
Dallas, Fort Worth and 15 other cities have concerns about TXU's proposed new coal plants as well. This week they formed a coalition to block the idea because of air quality worries.
(CBS 11 News)
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