PITTSBURGH — What if we looked at nuclear energy from a different angle? What if these new perspectives worked, bringing people from all sides of the energy equation together for the first time in a generation?
This is the origin story of Kentucky-based energy giant Nuclear Company, which brought its vision on a bus to Pittsburgh, one of dozens of cities across the country the company will visit to unveil its plans to build a fleet of six-gigawatt nuclear power plants in America.
Juliann Edwards, chair of Women in Nuclear, said energy industry leaders are predicting our need for electricity will grow faster than ever before, and there is no better time than now to discuss how nuclear energy can help match America’s energy needs to that need.
“The goal of the Nuclear Frontier bus tour was to inspire, educate and mobilize the public across America for the development of nuclear power,” said Edwards, an executive at the brand new Nuclear Company.
It makes sense for the company to start its tour in western Pennsylvania, where the first commercial nuclear reactor, a full-fledged nuclear power plant, began operation in 1957, just down the Ohio River in Beaver County in Shippingport.
Ms. Edwards was here in Pittsburgh for the U.S. Women in Nuclear Conference and said the choice of Pittsburgh was an obvious one because of the region’s tradition of nuclear energy, not only because of the Shippingport Nuclear Power Plant, but also because of Pittsburgh industrialist George Westinghouse’s contribution to the industry.
The legacy of Westinghouse, which commercialized alternating current and “lit up the world” by changing the way electricity is distributed, is directly linked to the atomic age that began with the construction of the reactor at Shippingport. Half of all nuclear reactors in operation worldwide use Westinghouse technology.
Ms Edwards said the launch of the bus tour was a great way to showcase the activities of the company, which places great emphasis on the resilience and strength of the land, which have always been part of its energy production.
“To do this, we need to build a sense of community around the industry and educate and remind Americans that nuclear energy has been around for over 60 years,” Ms. Edwards said.
She added that this message is timely because of rare bipartisan support for nuclear technology and a recognition of the importance of expanding baseload, carbon-free energy sources.
Ms Edwards said the company, which is developing fleet-scale nuclear power plants, uses proven and licensed technology and an approach that involves building coalitions between communities, regulators and financial stakeholders. She said the goal is safe and reliable electricity at the lowest cost.
The Nuclear Company’s business approach is to satisfy America’s energy hunger by establishing a standardized process to rethink the implementation of a nuclear infrastructure project.
The industry is notorious for going over budget and falling behind schedule, but Ms Edwards says the mood in the industry is better than ever going forward.
It was “positive for the first time in maybe 20 years,” she said.
“I think the fear has been largely caused by misinformation from accidents like Three Mile Island and by the media,” Ms. Edwards explained.
In March 1979, a tense situation arose at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant southeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, when a series of pumps containing cooling water for the reactor failed. And since art often imitates life, “The China Syndrome,” a Hollywood film about a nuclear power plant meltdown, had just been released, making the situation even more acute.
That day marked the end of production at American nuclear power plants and the industry’s credibility waned for decades. Only now, after reflection and stabilization in the industry, is a revival of nuclear power being considered, as energy experts fully recognize the safety and ability of reactors to generate electricity without carbon emissions.
“Fortunately, we’ve had a major turnaround and finally seen the benefits of nuclear power,” Ms. Edwards said. “I could talk all day about the quality of life, the job stability of heads of families, the economic benefits, the national security and, oh yeah, by the way, it’s the cleanest form of baseload power generation there is in the world.”
The bus tour went through six states, including Pennsylvania and Georgia, with a stop in Washington, DC
“It’s almost as if nuclear power is the biggest secret that everyone is learning about and wants to be a part of,” Ms. Edwards said. “My friend once said it was like nuclear power had just been invited to the prom for the first time.”
Developer.com
