RPD8.2 "Is Nuclear Energy Worth the Risks?" Scott Bond of Ameren Missouri
Channel: RPDEthicalSocietyStL
Date: 07/09/2011

Scott Bond is a registered professional engineer with twenty seven years of experience in the nuclear power industry. He has a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri, Rolla and is currently employed with Ameren Missouri at the Callaway Nuclear Power Plant. As Manager, Nuclear Development, he has overall project responsibility for the submittal of an Early Site Permit to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a possible new nuclear unit at the Callaway site. Ameren Missouri is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameren Corporation which is among the nation's largest investor-owned electric and gas utilities, with $23 billion in assets. The largest electric utility in Missouri and the second largest in Illinois, Ameren companies provide energy services to 2.4 million electric and one million natural gas customers throughout its 64,000-square-mile territory.

A few notes:

AMEREN MISSOURI
Good evening, 
I would like to thank the St Louis Ethical Society for the opportunity  speak on two subjects I am very passionate about, electricity and nuclear energy. 
Electricity is an instantaneous commodity.  We have match production with your use  real time 24 -- 7 -365.  If we do not , the electrical grid becomes unstable and things shut down  and a blackout can occur.
Nuclear energy is unique as well.  Its is the one of the most dense  power sources know to man.  Pound for pound, enriched uranium in a reactor such as the Callaway plant has thousands times the power density of coal.  

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATE OF THE UNION REMARKS ON CLEAN ENERGY
"So tonight, I challenge you to join me in setting a new goal: by 2035, 80 percent of America's electricity will come from clean energy sources. Some folks want wind and solar. Others want nuclear, clean coal and natural gas. To meet this goal, we will need them all"

Nuclear Energy has the least environmental impact of any base load power technology available today
Nuclear plants capture all emissions produced during power generation and only release what is allowed by Federal Regulations
Minimal Green House Gas emissions - Nuclear plants continuously make up about 69 percent of America's emissions-free generation. Wind, solar, and geothermal  make up about 10, and hydro is 21%. 
Used fuel has a small foot print compared to other baseload technologies and can be stored safely.
Used fuel could be recycled

Having nuclear in the mix has kept Ameren's rates low
With Callaway Unit 1 in service, Ameren Missouri's rates are 35% below the national average
We have the  lowest rates of any investor owned utility in the  state.
Ameren's current Integrated Resource Plan shows nuclear as one of the low cost base load generating options when considering life cycle costs
Standardized plant designs and modern construction techniques will minimized the economic risks 

In summary, Nuclear is :
Safe -- Designed with multiple layers of defense and regulated by the effectively by the NRC 
Clean -- virtually emission free power source that provides over 69% of the carbon free electricity in the US
Reliable -- The US nuclear plant fleet has had a sustained  average capacity factor of between 89 and 92% since 2004
Affordable -- lowest production cost of any baseload generating technology