James McGovern opines that the time has never been riper for a government policy of supporting nuclear energy and stimulating its production. Environmental problems from the burning of fossil fuels could make next year a major turning point for the use of nuclear technology in New Jersey and nationally. The political climate for nuclear energy today is very different than the one that existed a few years ago when national environmental groups insisted that renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, combined with improvements in demand management, would eliminate the need for nuclear energy.
Environmentalists alarmed about climate change have learned a lesson ... renewables and energy efficiency must coexist with carbon-free nuclear energy. This change of heart was reflected in support by some prominent environmental groups of a measure recently passed by the Illinois Legislature and signed into law that will ensure the continued operation of two economically-stressed nuclear plants in Illinois, the Clinton and Quad Cities reactors. Both Exelon nuclear plants faced imminent shutdown due to competition from an abundance of low-cost natural gas and subsidized wind power. Nuclear energy typically gets no credit in electricity markets for its contribution in ensuring power reliability (Power-Grid) and reducing carbon emissions. This has placed nuclear energy at a serious disadvantage in states like Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania where electricity has been deregulated. In Illinois, however, the state now recognizes the value of nuclear energy in meeting its clean energy goals. The Legislature not only adopted a zero-emission standard for electricity production but it also strengthened and expanded the state renewable portfolio standard, which mandates the use of solar and wind power, and substantially expanded energy efficiency programs. New Jersey four nuclear plants have performed extremely well in recent years ... Read on ..
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