By Anne Hedges
In July, Congress passed the ADVANCE Act, a new law weakening the requirements and oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for permitting new nuclear power plants. NorthWestern Energy’s repeated commitment to replacing the Colstrip power plant with nonexistent nuclear power technology raises concerns that this streamlined permitting process could spell trouble for Montanans’ safety and utility bills. In fact, it could result in lining the pockets of NorthWestern executives and shareholders while wasting precious time in delaying the energy transition.
Currently, there is a lot of unsupported hype about a new age for nuclear power. The federal government is giving away billions of taxpayer dollars to support marketing and public persuasion campaigns as well as the design and development of new nuclear technologies that are far from approval and commercialization. This is creating unrealistic expectations about nuclear’s role in the energy transition and is a dangerous distraction from deploying currently available, inexpensive technology that can meet energy needs.
Nuclear proponents started advocating for small scale modular reactors (SMRs) after large-scale nuclear plants got a black eye from projects such as Georgia’s $36.8 billion Vogtle nuclear plant, (Vogtle was $20 billion over budget and 10 years overdue). Pro-nuclear interests never mention:
- There are no SMRs in commercial operation today.
- They are many years off from being approved and commercially viable.
- All radioactive waste will need to be stored onsite in perpetuity.
- Utility customers will be on the hook for budget-busting costs.
- Nuclear plants don’t operate well in heat waves.
- Environmental justice issues raised by the re-opening of much-contested uranium mining on the Navajo Nation.
Empty promises led Congress this summer to pass the ADVANCE Act. It was a sneaky move in which nuclear proponents inserted a 93-page pro-nuclear bill into a three-page, must-pass bill on an unrelated topic. Frustratingly, Congress ignored facts and the expensive failure of other SMR projects, such as Idaho’s NuScale project that promised small Utah municipalities cheap power but only resulted in a $6 billion bill with nothing to show for it.
This new generation of nuclear technology may work someday, but it won’t be ready to address the urgent energy transition we face today. There are innumerable technologies that are cheaper, safer, and cleaner. Many are already being deployed in huge volumes that are providing people with the reliable power they deserve at an affordable price. Taxpayer money that is being funneled into dead-end nuclear projects could help develop promising technologies on larger scales, such as iron-air batteries that can store 100 hours of energy for use. Other batteries are being developed out of readily available materials such as hemp and salt. When paired with cheap solar and wind energy or installed in an electric vehicle, we rely less on burning fossil fuels and damaging mining for “critical minerals.”
To top it off, Montana has the second best wind resource in the nation and an excellent solar energy resource. Paired with energy efficiency and demand side management programs, utilities can provide affordable, reliable power now. NorthWestern shouldn’t be allowed to distract us from pushing for a clean, affordable and reliable energy future with empty promises that are at least a decade away. Robust modeling of nuclear power in NorthWestern’s next Integrated Resource Plan will show that nuclear power is not an affordable or reliable path for Montana. It’s up to the public to guarantee that this adequate modeling occurs.
This article was published in the October 2024 issue of Down To Earth.
