Observers Examine Nuclear Power’s Future In New England

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The Pilgrim Nuclear Power plant in Plymouth is on the Massachusetts coastline. (Courtesy)

The Pilgrim Nuclear Power plant in Plymouth is on the Massachusetts coastline. (Courtesy)

As a snowstorm blanketed Japan’s devastated Northeast and Emperor Akihito delivered his first-ever video address, white smoke and a new blaze at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant added to growing radiation fears.

That concern has not been limited to Japan. Around the world, people have been questioning the safety — and future — of nuclear power plants in light of the current crisis in Japan.

Here in New England, two of our five regional nuclear power plants — Vermont Yankee in Vernon, Vt., and Pilgrim Nuclear in Plymouth – share the same design as the Fukushima plant prompting many residents to question the plants’ operation.

Guests:

  • Rep. Ed Markey, top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee; senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee
  • Michael Golay, professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, MIT; past member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Research Review Committee
  • Beth Daley, environmental reporter, Boston Globe

More:

  • Bach

    Perhaps 10,000 Americans die quietly each year because of fossil-fuel power plants. Unless we want to live in a cold, dark world, the only way to really change this is nuclear power. I love wind and solar power, but it’s not happening. Cape Wind is still be fought over.

  • Lwc566

    I’m really annoyed (more than that) that they only have a snide pro-nuclear rep on the program since Markey had to leave the program early. Also the prof is wrong about the MA area being in an earthquake zone – we are in a high earthquake zone similar to the west coast and history is NO indication of the future, as they are experiencing in Japan. Nukes will NEVER be safe OR economical.

    • Meghna Chakrabarti

      Hi Lwc566,

      It was unfortunate that Rep. Markey had to leave. Our original plan was to have him on for the full segment along with Professor Golay. I found out right in the middle of the segment that the call had gone out for a vote on the House floor. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but we did the best we could. Just wanted to let you know that we had planned on having Rep. Markey on for the entire segment.

      - Meghna

  • Bob

    I think we also need to continue with small scale local generation (solar on more roofs not all of it grid tied)

    e.g Wind and small scale hydro at many of the dams in the state. It could also help defray the cost of dqm maintainence

    Even though transmission loss over distance is a small percentage it is a factor.

  • Gcurci

    As I listen to Michael Golay make excuses for the Nuclear power industry and attempt to dismiss Representative Marky’s comments about wind and solar power I get really angry. After Chernobyl the nuke advocates said they learned their lesson and it couldn’t happen here, then Three Mile Island. After that happened they said”see, it didn’t leak even though it melted down” but forgot to answer the question: who is going to pay to keep it sealed and the coolant pumps on for the next hundred years? The Japan accident is still unfolding, but the fire in the spent fuel pools is a reminder that the final bill for nuclear energy has yet to arrive. That spent fuel will have to be stored and cooled for a long time, generations maybe, long after the plants are shut down. The cost’s associated with nuclear power are not fully being accounted for.

    He’s wrong about solar and wind also. The wind is always blowing somewhere, what’s needed is a modern grid to distribute the power. The sun also shines every day, and even on a rainy day a solar panel puts out some energy. Rather than spend huge amounts of resources on a power source that will need to be maintained long after it is useful, why not spend that money on developing better storage and distribution systems? Instead of changing the rules to make it easier to site a nuclear plant with all of it’s risk to populations, why not make it easier to site wind and solar? If the insurance industry won’t bet on nukes, why should the taxpayers?

Hosts Meghna Chakrabarti and Anthony Brooks introduce us to newsmakers, big thinkers and artists and bring us stories of relevance to Bostonians here and around the region. Live every weekday at 3.

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