Price: We Need Nuclear Energy: ?
By W. Terry Smith, The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, N.C.
Jun. 20–After Town Manager Sam Noble said Tarboro might be looking at a 14 percent increase in its electric bills, Rotary Club members seemed more attentive Thursday when the luncheon speaker was introduced.
It was Dean Price, son of Tarboro Councilman Buck Price and an engineer with Dominion Virginia Power, one of the nation’s largest producers of energy.
Price is in charge of construction of the new nuclear reactor at the North Anna Power Station about 45 miles northeast of Richmond. Operation of this new unit will be the equivalent of removing 1.5 million vehicles off the road.
Price has spent "30 years around nuclear plants, but I’m not an expert," he said.
He’s an advocate, though.
"It’s got to be in the mix," Price said, along with coal, gas, hydroelectric, wind, solar, wood and tidal.
He was "really thrilled" to hear Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, call for the construction of 45 new nuclear plants by 2030, with a longer-term goal of adding another 55 in the future.
McCain said the 104 nuclear reactors currently operating around the country produce about 20 percent of the nation’s annual electricity needs. North Anna generates 1,786 megawatts from its two units — enough electricity to power 450,000 homes.
"Look at the amount of power we are going to need," Price said. "It’s getting more and more difficult to build a coal plant. (Nuclear) has got to be part of the power supply. We’re going to need it."
A chart during Price’s presentation showed nuclear as the cheapest power available compared to coal, wind and solar.
And, of course, it has no emissions.
Spent fuel is the biggest obstacle in nuclear energy.
"It’s a tough nut to crack," he said.
Price emphasized nuclear energy was safe. He reported how employees at a nuclear plant are constantly checked for radiation as are "the guy outside mowing the grass."
He figures he may have shaved 20 days off his lifespan working in nuclear plants. That compares to 2,370 days lost due to smoking or even more due to being overweight.
We received 40 millirems of radiation from an X-ray while a person living within 50 miles of a nuclear plant receives 0.009 millirems.
Radiation danger to the public is limited by time, distance and shielding.
"It’s all around us," he said. "It’s unavoidable."
Used fuel rods at Lake Anna are placed in water for five tears to cool and then removed into steel and lead casks that are sealed and stored under guard.
"We are waiting for the federal government to take them to a promised storage facility," Price said.
In answers to questions afterwards, he said wind farms required 75 square miles and solar energy required 15 square miles of panels.
"There is nothing to be afraid of with nuclear power," he said. "It’s safe, reliable and clean."
Price, 54, is a 1971 graduate of Tarboro High School. He received his civil engineering degree from N.C. State University.By W. TERRY SMITH
EDITOR
After Town Manager Sam Noble said Tarboro might be looking at a 14 percent increase in its electric bills, Rotary Club members seemed more attentive Thursday when the luncheon speaker was introduced.
It was Dean Price, son of Tarboro Councilman Buck Price and an engineer with Dominion Virginia Power, one of the nation’s largest producers of energy.
Price is in charge of construction of the new nuclear reactor at the North Anna Power Station about 45 miles northeast of Richmond. Operation of this new unit will be the equivalent of removing 1.5 million vehicles off the road.
Price has spent "30 years around nuclear plants, but I’m not an expert," he said.
He’s an advocate, though.
"It’s got to be in the mix," Price said, along with coal, gas, hydroelectric, wind, solar, wood and tidal.
He was "really thrilled" to hear Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, call for the construction of 45 new nuclear plants by 2030, with a longer-term goal of adding another 55 in the future.
McCain said the 104 nuclear reactors currently operating around the country produce about 20 percent of the nation’s annual electricity needs. North Anna generates 1,786 megawatts from its two units — enough electricity to power 450,000 homes.
"Look at the amount of power we are going to need," Price said. "It’s getting more and more difficult to build a coal plant. (Nuclear) has got to be part of the power supply. We’re going to need it."
A chart during Price’s presentation showed nuclear as the cheapest power available compared to coal, wind and solar.
And, of course, it has no emissions.
Spent fuel is the biggest obstacle in nuclear energy.
"It’s a tough nut to crack," he said.
Price emphasized nuclear energy was safe. He reported how employees at a nuclear plant are constantly checked for radiation as are "the guy outside mowing the grass."
He figures he may have shaved 20 days off his lifespan working in nuclear plants. That compares to 2,370 days lost due to smoking or even more due to being overweight.
We received 40 millirems of radiation from an X-ray while a person living within 50 miles of a nuclear plant receives 0.009 millirems.
Radiation danger to the public is limited by time, distance and shielding.
"It’s all around us," he said. "It’s unavoidable."
Used fuel rods at Lake Anna are placed in water for five tears to cool and then removed into steel and lead casks that are sealed and stored under guard.
"We are waiting for the federal government to take them to a promised storage facility," Price said.
In answers to questions afterwards, he said wind farms required 75 square miles and solar energy required 15 square miles of panels.
"There is nothing to be afraid of with nuclear power," he said. "It’s safe, reliable and clean."
Price, 54, is a 1971 graduate of Tarboro High School. He received his civil engineering degree from N.C. State University.
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Copyright (c) 2008, The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, N.C.
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