Story Archives of 'nuclear power'

In the 2008 presidential race many of the top candidates on both the Republican and Democratic sides are keeping nuclear power on the table as an option to be considered. The argument for nuclear energy is that it could help reduce climate change because it doesn’t cause emissions like fossil fuel sources of energy. The argument against it is that it creates harmful waste that needs to be stored somewhere and also could become a security issue if nuclear materials were intercepted by terrorists. We’ll take a look at how much of a role nuclear energy is playing in the political and environmental discussions of the 2008 presidential candidates.

Guests

• Arjun Makhijani, President and Senior Engineer of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research. He holds a Ph.D. in engineering (specialization: nuclear fusion) from the University of California at Berkeley. He has authored or co-authored many books, studies and articles on energy nuclear fuel cycle related issues, including weapons production, testing, and nuclear waste, over the past thirty six years and is the principal author of the first study ever done (completed in 1971) on energy conservation potential in the U.S. economy. He is also the principal author of Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free: A Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy.
• Gil Brown, Professor and Coordinator of the Nuclear Engineering Program at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He has worked in the safeguards training department at the International Atomic Energy Agency and held a variety of positions at companies, including New Hampshire's own Seabrook Nuclear Power Station. He is a member of the National Nuclear Accreditation Board and a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society.

We'll Also Hear From

• Alan Griffith, Spokesperson for FPL Energy - Seabrook Station.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is requiring 40 nuclear power plants around the country to increase monitoring of their cooling systems.

The mandate comes in the wake of problems that surfaced at nuclear plant in Kansas.

And as NHPR Correspondent Roger Wood reports, the Seabrook Power Plant is on the watch list.

Considered just a decade ago to be too dangerous to pursue, nuclear energy is back. Proponents say it’s safer than ever, and even some skeptical environmentalists now see nuclear power as a cleaner energy source worth pursuing. Others, however, aren't convinced. They say many problems with nuclear power remain, like where to store the waste and how to keep the plants secure. Laura is joined by Bob Backus, Attorney at the law firm Backus, Meyer, Solomon, & Branch in Manchester, and Gil Brown, Nuclear Engineer at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. We will also hear from NHPR's Washington Correspondent, Julie Donnelly and Karen Wayland, Legislative Director at the National Resources Defense Council.

Hundreds of people turned out for a public hearing in Vernon, VT, Wednesday evening.

They came to discuss the future of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, located across the Ct River from Hinsdale, NH.

The company that owns the plant wants to increase its power output.

And the proposal has sharply divided local residents.

NHPR Correspondent Eesha Williams attended the meeting and files this report.

The company that owns Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant wants to increase the plant's output by 20 percent.

The Louisiana-based Entergy corporation has asked Vermont and Federal regulators for permission.

The 32 year old plant is located just across the Connecticut River from Hinsdale, New Hampshire.

And anti-nuclear activists on both sides of the Connecticut want the proposed increase stopped.

Correspondent Eesha Williams files this report.