Initiative Would Shutter California Nuclear Plants For Decades While Feds Ponder Waste
Source: Forbes
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen cleared an initiative Wednesday that would shut down Californias two existing nuclear power plants until the federal government figures out what to do with the used fuela process expected to take at least 35 Years.
The initiative (pdf) now moves to the signature collection phase. It needs 504,760 signatures to qualify for the 2014 ballot.
The initiative is sponsored by Californias Nuclear Terminator, Ben Davis Jr. who helped write an initiative that shut down the Rancho Seco nuclear plant near Sacramento in 1989.
This is his second attempt to use this strategy to shutter the Diablo Canyon and San Onofre plants. He failed to gather enough signatures for the November ballot after the California Legislative Analysts office issued a report saying the iniative could result in rolling blackouts, an assertion that Davis and other supporters of the initiative dispute.
<snip>
Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2013/02/08/initiative-would-shutter-california-nuclear-plants-for-decades-while-feds-ponder-waste/
I think this is the initiative's website: http://californianuclearinitiative.com/
freshwest
(53,661 posts)At the very least it might provide a robust debate in the state about this issue.
ahimsa
(426 posts)without causing any rolling blackouts. We don't even have to speculate on that one as we know exactly what the effect would be. I sure hope they can get the sigs this time around!
FBaggins
(26,748 posts)Were the peak demand periods as high as they have hit in recent years? Were hydro facilities forced to use more water to close the gap than was added to storage by annual rainfall? Were there plants that delayed maintenance in order to maintain supply? Were older/dirtier backup plants forced to operate? Was power imported to the region in excess of what is normally available?
I don't know the answers to these question... but they point out that you can't just say "well we made it through one cycle without rolling blackouts... obviously we can continue to do it"
ahimsa
(426 posts)Just that it is not theoretical. I'm sure they are also well along in alternative plans in case they are unable to restart San Onofre, which would be just fine with me as we live in its shadow.
And durec for thread.
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)solar panels on every building and home and new green friendly transportation system. tens if not hundreds of thousands of new tech and existing job openings. it could have been in the top 5 in the world economy but this was the priority of our country...
http://costofwar.com/state/CA/
remember every 1 dollar spent on the public good returns a minimum 5
military spending returns nothing
freshwest
(53,661 posts)olddad56
(5,732 posts)I had heard that of an NPR affiliate (CPR) recently.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)I'm hoping that CA can lead the way on several things. Their standards have often been the best on the environment and other issues - or they were in the past.
Trascoli
(194 posts)california had any nuke plants. I've only been a few times but never saw any
freshwest
(53,661 posts)AnotherDreamWeaver
(2,850 posts)AndyTiedye
(23,500 posts)
and unlike in Japan, the prevailing winds would blow the fallout from the resulting meltdowns into major population centers.
San Onofre is already shut down and we have had plenty of power the whole time, let's keep it shut down.
We won't miss Diabolo Canyon much either.
silverweb
(16,402 posts)WillyT
(72,631 posts)I used to live a couple of miles from Rancho Seco...
And though I lived in the area... I had NO IDEA until recently.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancho_Seco_Nuclear_Generating_Station
NickB79
(19,253 posts)Let the fracking roll.......