New Hampshire is considering a controversial move to give Seabrook Station air pollution credits.
That?s one way the state plans to lower nitrogen oxide, or nox, emissions?a pollutant known to cause smog.
State environmentalists certainly don?t oppose reducing smog.
But many say even if Seabrook itself doesn?t produce air pollution, nuclear energy brings a host of environmental concerns, and isn?t an energy worth embracing.
As NHPR?s Dan Gorenstein reports, state officials say though, pressure to meet federal standards, international commitments, and with an eye toward the future, the plan makes sense.
Joe Fontane is with the Air Division of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
Track 33
:45 as population continues to grow, demand continues to grow and more and more electricity has to be created to meet what the public demands. As that happens, that demand can be met with?coal, oil, or natural gas?
But relying on those sources of energy could make it more difficult to lower nitrogen oxide, or nox levels.
That could mean falling short on federal standards.
It could also mean failing to comply with a clean air agreement between New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiè²¥s.
2:00 on the other hand, if the demand is met by new non-emitting generating sources, such as several renewable sources, or nuclear, then those the generation from those sources, you are avoiding emissions that would have been generated from higher emitting sources such as coal.
DES?s stated goal is to cut current nox levels 20% by 2006.
One way to encourage nox reduction is through the state?s program of clean air credits.
Power plants can buy or sell those credits basond on how much pollution they emit.
Right now the state provides air pollution credits to two types of energy producers.
Those that emit nitrogen oxide.
And some renewable energy sources that don?t.
Josh Irwin of New Hampshire PIRG.
2:16? all things that save or produce energy that is safe and clean and sustainable are also eligible for these allowances. Obviously they don?t need them, a wind turbine is not emitting smog pollution?but what those facilities can do is sell those allowances back to PSNH or someone else who needs them.
And DES is proposing to increase the number of non-nox credits.
State officials want to include Seabrook Station nuclear power plant with other renewable energy sources.
Josh Irwin from NH PIRG says the state?s air credit policy needs to draw a distinction between nuclear and renewable energy.
3:16 if the question is how do renewables compare to nuclear energy I don?t think that question even passes the laugh test. ?from an environmental and public health perspective, the consequences of generating electricity from a nuclear power plant are orders of magnitude more severe than anything from a renewable project.
Irwin says the whole point behind the state?s cap and trade program is to move away from dirty, unsafe forms of energy.
And he argues radioactive pollution and nuclear waste are hardly clean and safe.
Alan Legenedre is the Environmental Compliance Supervisor at Seabrook.
21:26 all of those issues are really not germane to the issues of whether Seabrook should get credits for its emission free generation. All of those issues do have solutions and really aren?t germane to this particular rule making.
What is germane, says Legendre, is that Seabrook could help the state reach new nox lows.
By producing more power Seabrook would lessen the demand on nox-producing power plants.
Seabrook has also proposed increasing its efficiency.
But before Seabrook can begin counting its credits, it first must get permission from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to increase energy output by 60 mega watts.
Legendre says the public benefit of 60 mega watts of nuclear power is equivalent to reducing up to 2000 tons of nox a year.
The cost of nox reductions comes in the form of increased nuclear waste.
Seabrook says it would be a maximum of 4% more.
Environmentalists say before going through with the change, the state must consider all the costs of nuclear energy.
But Richard Meyers of the Nuclear Energy Institute, the industry?s lobbying group, says the state must consider the benefits of nuclear energy.
7:30 ?Clearly the emission free generation has a sig. Compliance value, the renewable energy, the nuclear energy are providing environmental service that is not being recognized by the market?What the state of NH has done, in its wisdom has done is recognized is that a ton of emission avoided, is as valuable as a ton of emissions reduced and deserves some recognition in the Clean Air compliance program.
Geoff Fettus with the Natural Resource Defense Councils says the nuclear industry already gets enough public support.
13:08 the nuclear industry would not exist without dramatic subsidy and guarantees from taxpayers and the government. Providing them with another subsidy at a state level for failure to emit nox is ridiculous and another unneeded subsidy that moves us away from clean energy.
Meyers disagrees that the industry receives any subsidy apart from research and development money that he says is equally common in other energy industries.
If the state includes Seabrook in the trading program, it would be setting a precedent.
As of now, no other state has given a nuclear plant air pollution credits.
When asked if Seabrook approval would open doors for other nuclear power plants Meyers said he didn?t know.
17:58 ? Certainly it is a model we would suggest other states look at as to the extent that they revise and adjust their clean air regulations?we believe the NH model represents a useful model.
That?s the other criticism state environmentalist have.
They don?t want to set a national precedent for encouraging the nuclear industry.
DES is expected to hold public hearings on the question later this month.
A decision on the matter could come down as early as this May.
For NHPR News, I?m DG.
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