TVA’s nuclear ambitions are dangerous for purchasers. Here is why the nation’s largest public utility ought to as an alternative concentrate on confirmed, inexpensive, clear power proper now.
Carynton Howard | July 22, 2024
| Nuclear, Tennessee
SACE is devoted to selling accountable and equitable power selections all through the Southeast. A method we do that is by urging utilities to put money into clear and dependable renewable power and power effectivity, reasonably than high-risk power sources like fossil gas energy crops and new nuclear tasks.
When my colleague JT Neal and I realized TVA CEO Jeff Lyash was scheduled to speak about small modular reactors at our native utility’s board assembly in April, we knew we had a chance to encourage Nashville Electrical Service, one in all TVA’s largest clients, to place the wants of their clients first by embracing renewable power and demand aspect administration and rejecting TVA’s new nuclear plans and dangerous fuel buildout. This put up expands on my feedback at that assembly, in response to TVA CEO Jeff Lyash’s presentation. Video footage of Jeff Lyash’s presentation, and responses from myself and JT Neal will be discovered on the finish of this weblog.
TVA presently generates greater than 40% of its energy from nuclear. Earlier than placing extra eggs within the nuclear basket, TVA ought to deliver their renewable power technology to a minimum of 40%, and let Tennessee Valley residents reap the advantages.
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the most important public energy utility within the nation, is exploring how nuclear power can play a bigger half within the utility’s future power combine. In 2022, TVA’s Board of Administrators permitted the New Nuclear Program which put aside $200 million for website exploration, planning, and analysis into superior nuclear expertise. Since then, TVA has filed their document of choice indicating their need to place light-water small modular reactors (SMRs) on their Clinch River Website in Oak Ridge, Roane County, Tennessee, simply outdoors of Knoxville. Some would possibly recall, this website as soon as belonged to the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Challenge that in its time was additionally projected to be the most recent and biggest factor in nuclear expertise, nevertheless it by no means got here to be. Many TVA nuclear tasks have had an analogous story: after a lot of guarantees made and cash spent, usually all that’s left is a hefty invoice for purchasers to pay.
There’s a effectively documented document of TVA’s nuclear tasks operating far not on time, far over finances, and lots of occasions being deserted altogether. In years previous, TVA deliberate to construct 17 nuclear reactors. Seven of them had been accomplished and introduced on-line, however the remaining 10 models had been deserted after TVA had sunk $10 billion into them, solely to get no energy output in return. Watts Bar Unit 2, the utility’s most up-to-date reactor to enter operation, was famously introduced on-line 37 years later than anticipated and billions of {dollars} over finances.
SMRs at the moment are being touted as a less expensive various to the standard large-scale nuclear reactor, however actuality is already telling a special story. The primary SMR plant anticipated to be operational in america, a NuScale Energy challenge, was canceled by the Utah Related Municipal Energy Methods (UAMPS) on the finish of 2023 when projected energy and building prices turned too excessive for members to maneuver ahead. After quite a few delays, design adjustments, and subsequent value will increase, numerous the general public energy utilities that UAMPS serves throughout 7 Western states withdrew from their settlement to purchase energy from the challenge. Now, the interlocal company is wanting so as to add utility-scale renewable power tasks to their portfolio to allow them to meet the power output as soon as promised by NuScale’s small modular reactors.
Regardless of the price danger related to nuclear SMR tasks, CEO Jeff Lyash has stated that he desires to construct 20 or extra SMRs, which might possible put TVA’s clients on the hook for untold billions of {dollars}.
As a substitute, TVA Ought to Deal with Confirmed, Reasonably priced, Clear Vitality Now
Provided that early SMR tasks have already confirmed to be too expensive, coupled with the truth that they’re nonetheless a extremely speculative nuclear expertise, the obvious option to transfer towards a zero carbon future is to put money into confirmed, dependable, and inexpensive expertise with power effectivity, photo voltaic, wind, lengthy period battery storage, and progressive grid methods. Pivoting to renewable power is a step all utilities needs to be taking, particularly TVA which considers itself a “chief in our nation’s drive towards a clear power future.” Photo voltaic and wind proceed to be the most cost effective sources of power regardless of current inflation, and federal incentives from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation and 2022 Inflation Discount Act (BIL & IRA) have made every of those decarbonization choices much more inexpensive and attainable, particularly for a authorities entity like TVA.
Though we will all want for our utility corporations to make selections which can be finest for our well being and our wallets, TVA’s choice to extend their already giant share of nuclear capability as an alternative of committing to extra renewables doesn’t come as a shock. The federal utility lags far behind its peer utilities within the area in relation to photo voltaic ambition.
How are Prospects Affected?
If this plan to construct extra nuclear energy within the Valley involves fruition, will probably be on the expense of native energy corporations (LPCs) and their clients. TVA passes alongside the price of its capital tasks to ratepayers, which suggests the monetary burden of their deliberate fossil fuel buildout and potential new nuclear power belongings will probably be shouldered by us. This makes TVA CEO Jeff Lyash’s current presentation to the board of Nashville Electrical Service (NES) on TVA’s nuclear program much more regarding.
Lyash’s presentation on April twenty fourth targeted totally on superior nuclear expertise, nevertheless, he additionally shared that he sees a necessity for extra large-scale nuclear reactors just like the Westinghouse AP1000. AP1000 reactors have a dismal historical past within the Southeast: South Carolinians are paying billions of {dollars} for the AP1000 challenge at V.C. Summer time that was partially constructed, then deserted; whereas Georgia Energy clients are already paying increased utility payments to cowl building prices of the 2 AP1000 reactors at Plant Vogtle that took an extra 7 years and going greater than $20 billion over finances to finish.
Ratepayers shouldn’t have to fret about rising utility payments from new nuclear tasks, particularly when we have now different, less expensive methods to satisfy rising demand. Photo voltaic, wind, power effectivity, lengthy period battery storage, and progressive grid methods will be pursued now, whereas additionally sustaining grid reliability, lowering air pollution, creating jobs, and selling public well being. TVA presently generates greater than 40% of its energy from nuclear. Earlier than placing extra eggs within the nuclear basket, TVA ought to deliver their renewable power technology to a minimum of 40%, and let Tennessee Valley residents reap the advantages.
Please see the movies included beneath to view Jeff Lyash’s presentation and responses from myself and SACE Decarbonization Advisor JT Neal.
Jeff Lyash Presentation to NES Board, April 24, 2024:
My feedback to the NES board following Jeff Lyash’s presentation:
JT Neal’s feedback to the NES board following Jeff Lyash’s presentation:
