Spencer Abraham opines that all of us from Michigan are used to frigid winters and scorching summers. These temperature extremes underscore the need to keep the lights, air conditioning, and heat on and running reliably. Every time you flip a switch, turn a dial, or plug into an outlet, electricity is there when you need it, something many people seem to take for granted. What we should not take for granted, however, is the vital role that our nuclear power plants play in making the electricity we use each and every day, and more broadly, the role that the generation of nuclear power plays in our state economy and environment. This is especially true in light of the EPA recently announced Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing generating sources across the country.
The Michigan four nuclear reactors, i.e., D.C. Cook 1 & 2, Fermi, and Palisades, generate 27 percent of the state electricity while emitting no greenhouse gases. Representing roughly 4,000 megawatts of capacity, these plants make enough electricity to power 4 million Michigan households. What is more, they account for a staggering 91 percent of all carbon-free electricity generated in the state. If that is not enough to appreciate, a report released recently by The Brattle Group, a global economic consulting firm, puts a fine point on just how valuable these plants are to Michigan families and businesses.
The report, Nuclear Power Plants Contribution to the Michigan Economy, estimates the overall economic value of Michigan nuclear plants, as well as their contributions to limiting greenhouse gas emissions in the state. The findings speak for themselves. Michigan nuclear industry accounts for 3,200 full-time jobs (both direct and secondary), reports Brattle, and provides almost $23 million in net state tax revenues annually. The data also reveal that these plants contribute more than a half-billion dollars to the state gross domestic product.
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Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-