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Today's Poll!Kehoe files new nuclear plant bill
Thursday, February 24, 2011
State Sen. Mike Kehoe has introduced a new, longer version of the proposal to let ratepayers pay for the costs of a utility company’s successful efforts to get a site plan permit for a future nuclear power plant.
Kehoe said Wednesday night the new law is the result of “multiple meetings, for hours at each time, trying to work through this. ... I think it’s exciting that we’ve been able to listen to the concerns of the large utility companies, the large industrial company users, and we feel like we’ve addressed (their) concerns.
“Senate Bill 321 has incredible consumer protections in it.”
Marry Me
Comments
rodinman 2 years, 2 months ago
How about the concerns of the people?
MRH 2 years, 2 months ago
This does a great job of addressing the concerns of the people. The lead time needed to plan and build a new power plant and then bring it on line to produce electricity is extreme. 5 to 15 years is common and it can be more than 20. Electricity production by Missouri's utility companies is cheaper than buying the same electricity from out of state and Nuclear Power is the only readily available source with little or no carbon footprint to contribute to global warming. Wind power is being generated throughout the state but will not be enough to address the future needs of Missourians as demand increases and aging power plants are taken off line. If the Utilities cannot afford to start the process of building new generation facilities then others outside of Missouri will. Then more jobs, money, and people will leave to find greener pastures.
rodinman 2 years, 2 months ago
Let the darn for profit company that made over $600 million each of the last two years pay for it. They and their investors want to reap the benefits but not take the risks.
Rison 2 years, 2 months ago
Hear, Hear.
xlineman56 2 years, 2 months ago
I keep hearing "where's the jobs?". Well........if we want manufacturing jobs to come to Missouri affordable energy will play a key role. It's apparent coal is not going to be an option in the future due to regulation issues. I wish solar and wind would work in our geographic location but with the technology in use today it's just not going to happen. Natural gas sounds good today but as the coal fired units are shut down and natural gas units are put on the system the price of natural gas will probably go up due to the increase in demand. That leaves nuclear........at some point we will have to decide and the sooner that decision is made the better for everyone. Right now we have some of the lowest electric rates in the nation........I'd like to keep it that way!
Rison 2 years, 2 months ago
I agree with everything you said. But you didn't address why they don't use their MASSIVE profits to fund it.
xlineman56 2 years, 2 months ago
That's a fair question........ I'm not an accountant but it's my understanding that any increase in rates at an investor owned utility has to be approved by the Public Service Commission. You may want to call their local office and ask them about excess profits. If I were to guess most of the increases in electric rates........be it a municipal, investor owned or an electric cooperative.........the majority of the recent increases are due to the hundreds of millions of dollars spent due to regulation on their coal fired plants over the last decade. Although everyone's rates have risen over that time frame the majority of those costs have been absorbed by the utilities through increased efficiencies. These costs are being forced onto the utilities due to things like the "Clean Air Act". That doesn't make it bad, that's what the public has asked for. We do have to ask ourselves at some point.......how clean do we want our air and at what cost. As the cost of energy rises our manufacturing jobs continue to slip away. No one wants dirty or polluted air, that's in no ones best interest. How clean is clean enough.......tough questions we need to ask ourselves.
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