Arkansas Nuclear One Turns 35; Entergy Cuts Carbon Emissions 17.5 Percent
Arkansas Nuclear One, which provides one-fourth of the electric power in Arkansas, and more than half sold by Entergy Arkansas, turned 35 this month, according to an article in Arkansas News. Entergy supports climate change legislation, and in 2001 voluntarily capped its carbon emissions to the previous year's release. More importantly, it has since reduced its emissions by 17.5 percent, to 43.9 million tons in 2008. According to company officials, Nuclear One is emissions free.
Regarding the importance of climate change legislation, the article quotes Entergy Chairman and CEO Wayne Leonard as saying:
We're playing Russian roulette with the planet and our economy. The difference is there's a bullet in every chamber except one. We have to answer the question of whether we're more important than future generations. I believe with all my heart that everybody involved in this debate in their own heart knows what the answer to that question is.
Not all groups view nuclear power as the right alternative to reduce emissions and retard climate change. The article notes that the Sierra Club in Arkansas is opposed to nuclear power because of nuclear waste. The Sierra Club supports the use of wind, solar, and geothermal, along with natural gas a a bridge fuel, to provide electric power and reduce carbon emissions.
Our Take: Every type of electric energy generation has its own drawbacks. Wind and solar are emissions free, but are intermittent and require a lot of land and significant investments in transmission. Coal is cheaper, but the emissions are a primary driver of climate change. Natural gas has fewer emissions than coal, but is subject to price volatility. Nuclear power solves the problem of emissions, but there are safety concerns and problems disposing of nuclear waste. However, if the overriding goals are energy independence and stopping climate change, then each form of generation should be seriously considered and implemented where and when appropriate.
