Nuclear Power is Not the Answer for Idaho
Snake River Alliance News Release
April 22, 2008
For Immediate Release
CONTACT INFORMATION
Andrea Shipley, Snake River Alliance Executive Director
(208) 344-9161 office
(208) 514-8713 cell
BOISE, ID – The Idaho National Laboratory welcomed Patrick Moore, a paid spokesman of the nuclear industry and self described environmentalist, to speak to the Idaho Environmental Forum in Boise this afternoon.
“The good news is that Idahoans are having a conversation about climate change,” said Andrea Shipley, Snake River Alliance executive director. “But nuclear power is still not the answer. We learned the cost of nuclear power energy is too high for Idaho when Warren Buffett’s company, MidAmerican Energy Holdings, pulled out of Payette County because its proposed nuclear plant was not economically viable in Idaho.
“Idahoans are also really concerned about the water it takes to cool these plants and that was not addressed during today’s presentation, even though there were multiple questions submitted about water usage,” Shipley said.
“Water is Idaho’s most precious commodity and the very livelihood of agriculture in this state. A 1600 MW plant would consume via evaporation about 30 million gallons of water per day or about 92 acre feet per day if cooling towers were used. That is more water than we have to spare with the current droughts.”
Idaho is unique in that it is rich in renewable resources like wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. “A combination of these renewable resources will knock nuclear energy out of the picture and will make our power bills more affordable,” Shipley said. “They offer the best solution for Idaho.”
Patrick Moore is an ex-Greenpeace leader, owner of Greenspirit Strategies and co-chair of the pro-nuclear Clean and Safe Energy Coalition. He is paid by the nuclear industry.
Snake River Alliance is Idaho’s nuclear watchdog and advocate for clean energy.