A Dirty Nuclear Deal

CPS Energy, the San Antonio electric utility, is considering investing in two new nuclear reactors at the South Texas Project nuclear facility near Bay City, TX. On October 29, 2007, the CPS Energy Board of Trustees is expected to vote on whether to take the next step into a costly and risky nuclear development deal with NRG Energy, Inc.

Too costly: We've made this mistake before and it resulted in rate hikes and harmed CPS's finances. The South Texas Project's first two nuclear reactors came in 5 times over budget and 8 years late. NRG is seriously underestimating the cost of its proposed two additional reactors, which will can only lead to horrible cost overruns in the future.

Too Risky: The Advanced Boiling Water Reactor design proposed for the nukes has never been built before in the U.S. and doesn't have a good track record in Japan. NRG has never built a nuclear plant of any kind, and nearly went bankrupt in 2003.

Radioactive waste: The waste from nuclear reactors will remain dangerous to all forms of life for hundreds of thousands of years. There is still no way to keep it from harming the environment. Before a reactor can even be operated, nuclear power requires the mining, milling and enrichment of uranium for fuel. All of these processes cause widespread environmental contamination and exposure, posing serious health and safety hazards. The risk of meltdown is always present with any nuclear plant, and is especially high during the early and late years of an operating nuclear plant.

Mining poisons Texas water: Mining has ruined aquifers near Karnes City and Kingsville, and the damages may be spread over South Texas as mining expands. Some citizens now have radioactive water.

We don't need these plants: San Antonio needs more energy, but as energy expert Amory Lovins says, "it is cheaper to save electricity than to make it". Economic energy efficiency programs could provide more energy than would come from the proposed nukes at a fraction of the cost and create local jobs, while reducing monthly bills as reported by KEMA, in a study commissioned by CPS Energy. With energy efficiency and renewable energy there is no worry about fluctuating fuel costs, which is a problem for other energy sources due to the price volatility of uranium, coal, or natural gas!