Bill Text: NJ AR60 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges BPU to explore expanded use of nuclear power in NJ.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-18 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee [AR60 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-AR60-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman REED GUSCIORA
District 15 (Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Urges BPU to explore expanded use of nuclear power in NJ.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to explore the potential for the expanded use of nuclear power in the State.
Whereas, As New Jersey's population and energy consumption grows, expansion of the State's power grid will be necessary to ensure that energy supply keeps pace with rising demand, and any such expansion should be accomplished in a manner that is most beneficial to the State, taking into consideration the cost to consumers, the efficiency of proposed energy production methods, and any associated environmental impacts; and
Whereas, Nuclear power generation does not produce carbon dioxide or any other greenhouse gas emissions, and the expanded use of this power source has been promoted as a means to minimize global warming by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, and the New Jersey Affordable, Clean, Reliable Energy Coalition; and
Whereas, New Jersey's Energy Master Plan, submitted by Governor Jon Corzine in 2008, requires the State to increase the "supply of low carbon emitting, reliable and reasonably priced energy," in part, through the expansion of nuclear power production and the development of new nuclear power technologies; and
Whereas, Nuclear power is one of the least expensive types of energy available, with a production cost of approximately 1.87 cents per kilowatt hour, and because uranium is frequently imported from stable nations like Canada and Australia and nuclear generating facilities require refueling only once every 18 to 24 months, nuclear power generation is not subject to the fuel price volatility that is associated with natural gas or oil; and
Whereas, Nuclear power generation is an extremely efficient method of energy production, with a single uranium fuel pellet - the size of a fingertip - having the capacity to produce the energy equivalent of 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, 1,780 pounds of coal, or 149 gallons of oil, and a single nuclear reactor having the capacity to generate "baseload" electrical energy over 90% of the time, without concern for the fluctuating natural conditions that have been known to impair the electrical output of hydroelectric or wind power sources, each of which has the ability to generate "baseload" electricity only about 30% of the time in operation; and
Whereas, The four nuclear power plants now operating in New Jersey currently provide more than 50% of the electricity used in the State and also serve an integral role in their local communities, providing high-paying jobs for thousands of New Jersey workers, contributing to community and local organizations, and raising tens of millions of dollars per year in State and local taxes; and
Whereas, Although 20-year operating license renewal applications have been submitted for New Jersey's Salem 1, Salem 2, and Hope Creek nuclear generating facilities, which are scheduled for respective closure in 2016, 2020, and 2026, these license renewals have not yet been approved, and although a 20-year operating license extension was recently approved for the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Facility in Ocean County, this will assure continued nuclear production sufficient to provide only 9% of the total nuclear power currently consumed in the State; and
Whereas, Absent further expansion of the nuclear power industry in New Jersey, the loss of any of the State's currently operational nuclear power facilities, due to either functional obsolescence or the denial of license extension applications, would be devastating to the State's power grid, would negatively impact nearby communities, and would also have a detrimental effect on the environment, since the State would be unable to supplant its nuclear power generation with enough renewable energy resources, which are currently sufficient to supply only 3% of New Jersey's electricity; and
Whereas, Recent advances in nuclear energy have made it possible to upgrade aging nuclear power facilities so as to extend their life and provide gains in power utilization, operating efficiency, and security; and
Whereas, New technologies, including advanced "evolutionary" reactors, accelerator-driven systems, passive safety designs, and anti-terrorism protections, make it possible to construct new nuclear power generators that are even cleaner, safer, and more energy efficient than those currently employed; and
Whereas, It is in the best interest of the State to support the safe and clean generation of nuclear power and to consider expanding nuclear power plants to meet the needs of the State; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to explore the potential for the expanded use of nuclear power in the State, and, in particular, to determine the feasibility of both constructing new nuclear power facilities in New Jersey and upgrading those facilities currently in operation.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk thereof, shall be transmitted to the members of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to explore the potential for the expanded use of nuclear power in the State, and particularly, to evaluate the feasibility of upgrading aging nuclear power facilities and constructing new nuclear power facilities.
Nuclear power provides a number of financial and environmental benefits. First, the generation of nuclear energy does not produce any greenhouse gas emissions, and the expanded use of this energy resource has been specifically promoted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, and the New Jersey Affordable, Clean, Reliable Energy Coalition, as a means to minimize global warming. Nuclear power generation is also one of the least expensive and most efficient methods of energy production available, and it is not subject to the fuel price volatility that is associated with natural gas or oil.
The four nuclear facilities now operating in New Jersey currently provide more than 50% of the electricity consumed in the State, and they also serve an integral role in their local communities. However, because of their age, these facilities will require extensions of their original operating licenses in order to continue future, long-term energy production. License extension applications submitted for the Salem 1, Salem 2, and Hope Creek generating facilities have not yet been approved, and the license extension that was recently approved for the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Facility is sufficient only to ensure the continued generation of 9% of the total nuclear power currently consumed in the State. Because the closure of any of these facilities would be devastating to the State's power grid, as well as to local communities and to the environment, and because recent advances in nuclear technology have made it possible not only to upgrade aging nuclear power facilities but also to construct new facilities that will be even cleaner, safer, and more efficient than those currently in operation, it is both reasonable and necessary to now encourage and facilitate the expanded use of nuclear power in New Jersey.
