Comments about ‘Utilities win rulings on nuclear waste storage’

I love it! Not only is the federal government spending billions on a nuke waste facility at Yucca Mountain, but it is also being sued for not taking the waste on tax payer money. I can't believe Republicans say nuclear power is cheap when it is the government that picks up most of the tab -- both for the insurance of the industry and its waste disposal. And McCain wants to expand subsidies for nuclear power to grow the industry when it already enjoys the most subsidies of all energy sources. Please, no more "cheap" nuclear power until the GOP has figured out how to recycle and eliminate the risks of its waste for "cheap." Interesting how this article is in the same newspaper edition with another article about how geothermal is growing -- a significantly safer, clean, price stable energy source that can benefit Utah with good productive jobs! Utahns must decide on whether Utah is to be a producer of clean energy or a storage facility of nuclear waste. What should our legacy for our kids be?

You have got so many facts wrong or twisted it is difficult to deal with them all.

The nuclear industry has paid over $50 billion into a mandated waste disposal account for a decent, safe storage system. The government has failed the industry and has wasted tens of billion$.

The government does not pay for the insurance, the industry does. It has paid many billions for catastrophic insurance that has not been needed.
No catastrophes have occurred, other than TMI which was an economic melt down....ie... no one injured or killed.

Nuclear power has prevented the deaths of an estimated 100,000+ persons... from coal miners nit killed to the tremendous benefit to reduced air pollution, especially in the East.

N.P. has prevented the release of over 50 million tons of NOx and SOx and particulate that would have been produced by coal plants producing the same amount of power. This has benefited eastern forests by reducing acid rain.

I happen to think Yucca Mtn is a foolish waste. It will eventually be understood to be expensive overkill that is "overly-protective" of more benign, reprocessed high level waste.

That is the direction we should be going; It's the smart way.

MPackard

Geothermal is neat, but it is not going to replace coal or nuclear power to keep us going as a first world economic and military power.

Geothermal is very expensive.

If you think it is so great, you ought to volunteer to pay ALL your electric utility bills at the geothermal rate.

Wind and solar PV are also useful as small parts of the energy equation. But, they are part time energy producers. The energy must be used instantly or it is wasted.

If you think these are great sources, then turn off all your lights, electric heat/air conditioning and and all other electric use when the sun is not shining or the wind not blowing within a reasonable distance, from you, of these low efficiency sources. Expensive storage schemes add to already high costs.

There are smarter, more cost effective ways to use solar and wind power.

Passive solar windows and window walls with movable insulation is great!

Look at letting more wind into your house for natural cooling.

There were a lot of books back in the early 80's on how to do these things economically; lets renew that approach.

We should focus on those first.

MPackard