Is Global Warming Serious Enough To Lift Calif. Ban On Nuke Plants?

Today, the Investors Business Daily, one of America’s more important financial publications, printed an Op-Ed piece I wrote about nuclear power as a solution to California’s global warming act, AB 32. 

Investors Business Daily
Thursday, August 23, 2007

Is Global Warming Serious Enough To Lift Calif. Ban On Nuke Plants?

By CHUCK DEVORE

Global warming has become a lot like the weather: Everyone talks about it, but nobody does anything about it…

The piece may be seen at: http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=272670579568835

They also recorded a podcast, which you can hear at the link above.

The piece was accompanied by a political cartoon by Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, Michael Ramirez.

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/cartoons.aspx

Comments

[tylerh]

YES.

I wish all questions were this easy.

[Andy Favor]

Chuck wrote:

“Electrical generation accounts for 20% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions.

California is already the most electrically efficient state in the U.S., so large additional conservation savings will be hard to achieve.”

Chuck, in continuance of your exceptional leadership the article was again fantastic. However, I do have to make one point. I consider the 18% reduction in line losses from Irvine headquartered “Composite Technologies” electricity transmission cables to be very significant conservation savings. This company is doing some great things in that they also have the state of the art wind turbine. And they are in your district.

[Chuck DeVore]

Andy,

I've met with the folks from Composite Technologies. Here's where your math falls short:

The nationwide line loss average is 6 percent. Long distance loss is 15 percent. If we reduce that by 18 percent, then the savings would be 1 to 3 percent of the total. The question then becomes is that savings worth the application of capital? High efficiency wires may be part of the solution -- but likely only a small part.

BTW, this question of expending capital in any energy use is the same for solar applications: what is the cost per installed watt, how long will it last, how much maintenance per unit of power is needed, what sort of toxics are produced and can they be managed (safeguarded) and, of late, what is the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions.

All the best,

Chuck DeVore
State Assemblyman, 70th District