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Issue: 1058 Date: 12/2/2010
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Nixon州長有意推動興建第二核電廠
1984年建成之密州唯一核電廠 Callaway核電廠再度受到關注
Nixon wants second nuclear plant in Callaway County
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| Callaway核能發電廠外觀內部操作室，相片由AmerenUE電力公司提供 Callaway Nuclear Power Plant located in Callaway County, Missouri and is owned and operated by Union Electric, St. Louis, Missouri. This plant is ten miles southwest of Fulton, 25 miles northeast of Jefferson City, 5 miles north of the Missouri River and 80 miles west of St. Louis. |
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【時報訊】密蘇里州長Jay Nixon日前宣佈，他將促使在密州Callaway郡興建第二座核能發電廠，以因應日漸增長之供電需求量及執行清潔能源方案，雖然這項宣佈得到社區、勞工團體及商業團體之背書，但是成立第二核廠之評估費約需四千萬元，而這項指出將由各用戶家庭支付，預計每年每戶將多繳1到2元電費，因此這項提案立即受到各界對核能電廠之安全、效率，供電量之再度關注。
很多人不知道，全美國有104個核能電廠，而密州僅有一座核能電廠，建於1984年，位在密州Callaway郡，距聖路易以西80哩，密蘇里河以北5哩，離密州首府傑佛森市東北25哩，Callaway核能電廠佔地5228公頃，1984年12月19日開始運行，供電量1190兆瓦，由AmerenUE公司擁有和操作，供電量佔AmerenUE電力公司總供電量之19%。
Callaway核電廠是全美104座核電廠中，26座可以運行超過500天而不必加添核原料之電廠之一，它有四個發電廠，冷卻水塔高553呎，祗比聖路易Arch拱門矮77呎，寬430呎，核電廠全速運行，每分鐘要使用58萬5千加侖之冷卻水，其中一萬五千加侖的水會蒸發掉，另外有五千加侖的水會排到密蘇里河，這些損失的水會在由距離電廠5哩的密蘇里河補充，核電廠發電時塔內水溫高達華氏125度，經過水冷卻到95度。
事實上AmerenUE曾在2008年意圖興建第二座核電廠，就是因為興建第二座核電廠須要經由核能委員會和環保相關單位之核準，所須之評估費用要向用電家庭戶收取法律未獲通過，故於2009年4月打消念頭，直至今日，這項提案又再度浮出台面。
興建一座核電廠評估核準費用約為四千萬元，核準後的興建費為60億元，不是一項小工程，如果核準興建，有效期為20年，可以再續10或20年。
目前密蘇里州超過80%之供電量來自燃煤，所收電費之低廉是全美排行第7名。
Nixon wants second nuclear plant in Callaway County
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced a plan Friday to push for construction of a second nuclear power plant in Callaway. "Residential and commercial ratepayers will not pay one penny unless the consortium is given the early site permit; the costs associated with seeking that permit are determined to be prudent and the Missouri Public Service Commission approves them," Nixon said from the steps of the governor's mansion.
"In addition, this agreement will keep consumer protections on the books for construction work in progress."
Speaking alongside community, labor and business leaders, Nixon announced that a consortium of Missouri electric utilities planned to seek regulatory approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the site of the plant.
The utilities, including Ameren Missouri, the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, Kansas City Power & Light and the Missouri Public Utility Alliance, have not decided whether to build the second plant but want the option. Should they pursue the plant, it would be built at Ameren Missouri's Callaway County location about 25 miles northeast of the state capitol, where the state's only existing nuclear plant is located.
"Given the uncertainties regarding how best to replace aging power plants, the potential impact of anticipated EPA regulations and continued consideration at the federal level of carbon tax proposals, Ameren Missouri believes strongly that our state must keep all options on the table -- including additional nuclear power generation," said Warner L. Baxter, chairman, CEO and president of AmerenUE, in a news release.
Christy Bertelson, a Nixon spokeswoman, told The Democrat Friday afternoon that the new plant would be a "state-of-the-art facility" that would help the state maintain low energy costs.
"Nuclear power technology has changed a lot since the original facility was built at Callaway in 1984. It is very clear there is a need for reliable, affordable energy and that will be essential to Missouri's economy going forward," Bertelson said.
She said the state, which derives more than 80 percent of its electrical power from coal, enjoys the seventh most affordable energy rates of any state in the country.
Nixon's proposal would allow utilities to charge customers for the cost of getting early site permits for power plants. Currently, state law does not allow utilities to bill their customers for the cost of building new power plants until the facility is online.
Nixon said the early site permit would cost about $40 million and customers would pay an extra $1 to $2 per year.
Consumer advocates said Friday the new proposal could force customers to pay millions of dollars before they can even benefit from the power plant. They said that amounted to shifting the risk of new power plants from a utility and its private investors to electric customers who cannot get electricity from anyone else.
"It is certainly not consumer-friendly. It is against the interest of consumers," said Joan Bray, the chairwoman for the board of the Consumers Council of Missouri.
The permitting process for power plants addresses site suitability and environmental protection issues as well as plans for coping with emergencies. If approved, the permit would be valid for 20 years and could potentially be renewed for an additional 10 to 20 years.
Missouri lawmakers last year considered legislation to help build a second nuclear power plant by letting utilities seek permission from the Public Service Commission to add the financing costs for certain types of new power plants onto electric bills before plants are operational.
It was not immediately clear when a decision on a plant would be made, how many megawatts it would produce or how the utilities would operate it.
Ameren spokeswoman Susan Gallagher said it's not uncommon for there to be nuclear plants operated by multiple utilities.
"It's a clean energy source and we need clean energy sources because the state is 80 percent coal fired," Gallagher said. She noted that various regulations are in the works that could affect coal-fired generation.
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