CASEnergy > Florida Economic Club Speech Coverage

Also posted on: Central Florida News 13

Turning the Sunshine State into a mega-state can be rewarding, but as it grows, so too does power consumption. New plants have to be built to keep up with the booming demand and nuclear is a prime option.

Florida already has five generators in three plants, Crystal River near the Bay area, Saint Lucie on the treasure coast, and Turkey Point near Miami.

Enter former New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman, who has also served as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

These days, she heads up a coalition to expand America’s nuclear power industry. The message: it's cleaner and cheaper than any other option. Her stop in Tallahassee Wednesday had everything to do with timing.

“The demand is coming at us, and you can't wait and it takes eight to 10 years to get a facility up, but Florida's done some very smart things as far as making it more attractive for companies to make that kind of investment in a nuclear facility,” Whitman said.

In the background, like the steady hum of electricity, you can hear Whitman’s critics. Namely members of the environmental crowd, who argue that nuclear advocates are pulling the wool over your eyes.

Mark Ferrulo with Environment Florida said nuclear is actually one of the most expensive ways to go, not to mention dangerous, because radioactive waste is left behind. Still, he's not surprised there's talk of expanding Crystal River.

“The utilities make money when you burn energy. They don't make money when you save energy. So of course the utilities, their financial best interest is, the more wasteful we are as consumers and the more energy we consume and so they're the ones who are proposing to build nuclear plants,” he said.

That's why Ferrulo's calling for a bigger focus on renewable energy, such as solar power. But, Whitman said that’s not enough. Plus, as far as she's concerned, three-eyed fish and radioactive dogs are nothing more than the stuff of cartoons

Powering Up With Nuclear Energy

Lanetra Bennett

WCTV

May 30, 2007

The Energy Information Administration projects says we're going to see a huge increase in demand for power in 20 years. That's why some experts say nuclear power is the way to go.

The former governor of New Jersey visited Tallahassee Wednesday to get people thinking about the role of nuclear energy. She says it's reliable and environmentally friendly.

The U.S. Department of Energy Predicts that the nation will need 45 percent more electricity by the year 2030.

Tallahassee resident Jack Sisson says nuclear energy is a part of the solution.

"I'm concerned about global warming. The concern about that has got to be on everybody's mind. One of the possible solutions is nuclear power. Obviously better engineering on coal might help that as well."

Experts say coal is 52 percent of our power.

A coal power plant is slated to be built in Taylor County, but the former New Jersey governor and co-chairperson of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, Christie Whitman, says nuclear energy is more reliable and safer.

"Nuclear is the only base load power, when you're talking about coal and gas, that doesn't produce any of the greenhouse gases or any other regulated air emission. So it's the healthier form of power you might say from that perspective."

Energy experts say across the United States, the use of nuclear power prevented about 680 million metric tons of carbon dioxide last year. That's the equivalent of taking about 98 percent of U.S. cars off the road.

Carl Monson, a Tallahassee resident, said, "I wish we would have a variety of alternative energies that can make sense for around the country. This is the Sunshine State and why don't we use some solar?”

Whitman says she supports renewable sources such as hydro, solar, and wind, but says nuclear power is the better choice all around because it's also more affordable. Experts say the 2006 Florida Energy Act is a good move.

It's a $30 million strategy to diversify the state’s fuel supply and provide long-term energy security.

Nuclear Power Offers Clean Energy, Clean Air
Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, CASEnergy Co-Chiar
Tampa Tribune
May 30, 2007

A year ago, former Gov. Jeb Bush designated May as Clean Air Month and encouraged Florida's citizens and businesses to do their part, a tradition that Gov. Charlie Crist has continued to uphold this year.

True to its character as an environmental leader, Florida responded by investing in renewable energy through the 2006 Florida Energy Act and by encouraging companies and residents to purchase solar panels and energy efficient appliances through tax incentives.

As a homeowner in Florida, I am pleased that Florida is just one of three states east of the Mississippi that meets all federal clean air standards. Large swaths of our country can't make that claim.

According to the American Lung Association's State of the Air 2007 report, one-third of all Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution. Problem is, most Americans do not know the quality of the air they breathe. That's a function of inadequate access to information, busy lives and an assumption that the powers that be will get it right. But even when we have the facts in hand, reality can be clouded by a confusing haze of figures and statistics.

Here's one reality: By 2030 the demand for electricity in the United States will be 40 percent greater than it is today. When we look at how our nation plans to address the dual challenge of keeping the lights on and having clean air, we cannot afford to overlook nuclear energy.

Nuclear energy is the world's largest source of emission-free electricity. Nuclear power plants do not produce nitrous oxide or sulfur dioxide, which lead to smog and acid rain. Nuclear energy produces no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Facts like these are causing policymakers, environmentalists and others to rethink nuclear energy:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told a House Committee on Science and Technology hearing that in her early days in Congress, she was an opponent of nuclear energy because of questions on how to dispose of the waste.

She went on to say, "The technology has changed, and I bring a more open mind to that subject now because I think we should look at this technology, and compare it to the alternatives."

WIRED magazine reported even back in February 2005 that "Burning hydrocarbons is a luxury that a planet with 6 billion energy-hungry souls can't afford. There's only one sane, practical alternative: nuclear power."

Without emission-free nuclear energy, Florida in 2005 alone would have emitted 67,000 more tons of sulfur dioxide and 38,600 more tons of nitrous oxide (the same amount of nitrous oxide emitted by 2 million passenger cars each year). Across the United States, the use of nuclear power prevented about 680 million metric tons of CO2 in 2006 - the equivalent of taking about 98 percent of U.S. cars off the road.

Renewable energy should have an increased role, and each of us should do more to conserve energy. We can and should buy more efficient appliances, drive fuel-efficient cars and even plant carbon absorbing trees to improve our air quality. But unfortunately, these acts alone won't satisfy our energy demands. Nuclear energy alone won't get us there either, but it should be an integral part of our overall energy portfolio.

Nuclear energy can help us preserve the Earth's climate while at the same time providing for our future energy needs.

Christine Todd Whitman, former New Jersey governor and Environmental Protection Agency administrator, is co-chair of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, a national grassroots organization that advocates the benefits of nuclear energy

Increased nuclear power urged; Former EPA chief touts benefits of nuclear energy

Bruce Ritchie

Tallahassee Democrat

May 31, 2007

Nuclear energy is a clean and safe alternative that should play a greater role in Florida's energy future, Christine Todd Whitman, former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said Wednesday.

Whitman is co-chair of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, which describes itself as a national grass-roots organization dedicated to education on the benefits of nuclear energy. Her consulting firm is paid by the coalition, which is funded by the nuclear industry.

Energy conservation and renewable energy have a place in the future, Whitman told the Economic Club of Florida. But other power generation is needed, she said, and nuclear energy is more efficient and pollutes less.

For the first time since the 1970s, U.S. companies are talking about building nuclear reactors - as many as 34 nationwide, Whitman said.

"The future of nuclear energy actually is very hopeful," she said. "The signs we are seeing is there are more and more who are now looking at nuclear energy as a real alternative today."

Some in the audience at the Silver Slipper restaurant were receptive to the speech. But some environmentalists who did not attend said they still have questions about nuclear energy.

Florida CFO Alex Sink, a member of the Economic Club of Florida, said she is interested in increasing nuclear as part of the state's energy supply mix. Sink sits on the Cabinet, which approves the siting of new power plants.

"If we are going to be a growing state, we are going to have to figure out how to produce the energy that more people are going to require," she said.

Former Lt. Gov. Wayne Mixson said he was joining the coalition because he's concerned that the U.S. is using fossil fuels needed in developing countries.

Members of the Council for Safe and Efficient Energy include Associated Industries of Florida, former Gov. Jeb Bush, the Tampa Branch of the NAACP and the Florida Medical Society, according to Hill & Knowlton, a public-relations firm that coordinates council activities.

Nuclear is on the negotiating table because of concerns about global warming from burning coal for electricity, said Susan Glickman, a consultant to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. But she said concerns remain about nuclear energy's safety, waste issues and cost.

"If you satisfy your energy needs by throwing up large nuclear power plants, there is less incentive to develop renewable energy and make the investments in energy efficiency," she said.

Whitman said the nation has a nuclear waste solution in Yucca Mountain, Nev., but has been blocked from using the disposal site by "political science."

Citing concerns about offshore oil drilling and coal mining in the U.S., Whitman said, "We say 'no' to just about everything. If we want to continue to grow and to sustain our economy and quality of life, we have got to start saying 'yes' to some things."