Comments on: Nuclear in Oregon may be limited to research /news/2010/01/29/osu-builds-new-test-nuclear-reactor/ Building and Construction News in Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:57:15 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.6 By: portfolio boy /news/2010/01/29/osu-builds-new-test-nuclear-reactor/#comment-9810 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:57:15 +0000 /?p=46537#comment-9810 Oregonians tend to be reactive in their support of energy choices. Shutting down Boardman to be replaced by natural gas, renewable, and energy efficiency is putting too many of our eggs in only a few baskets. The western united states will be leaning very heavily on natural gas for electricity supply growth in the next 10 years. If this happens expect an increase in electricity prices in line with natural gas. I agree with Mr. Guy regarding the Trojan decision, it was taken down about the same time Oregon should have decided that Nuclear should be in our energy portfolio mix. It makes very good economic sense. I also agree that Oregon should not allow a nuclear plant until there is a federally approved waste facility that will properly manage the waste.

Oregonians are like bad stock investors, they get in at the top, and out at the bottom. How about some leadership that reduces rates and attracts businesses to our state.

]]> By: William G. Guy, P.E. /news/2010/01/29/osu-builds-new-test-nuclear-reactor/#comment-9755 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:08:22 +0000 /?p=46537#comment-9755 Just a point of clarification: Trojan was not shut down due to structural deficiencies! Trojan was shut down due to a steam generator tube rupture! The structural deficiencies referred to by Mr. Grott were repaired prior to this time to the satisfaction of the NRC. Trojan was taken down forever by PGE’s executives who came up with a flawed “Least Cost Plan” that showed natural gas plants to be lower cost per kilowatt than Trojan. This is public record. Also, there was good public support for the plant, as the referendum in favor of Trojan’s continued operation passed by a wide margin in November, 1991; and the tube rupture occurred in January of 1992. PGE executives felt that it was too costly to make the repairs (replacement of the steam generators) and the resulting NRC hearings to restore the operating license would take too long (2-3 years) driving up the cost. The ‘Least Cost Plan’ assumed natural gas prices would remain low, but that has not proved acurrate.

Steam Generator tube ruptures were already known by Westinghouse at the time of Trojan’s demise and many other plants have successfully replaced their steam generators with those that do not suffer from the same material deficiencies. Trojan was a good reliable power station with the ability to match the total combined capacity of Bonneville Dam. It is unfortunate that we lost a viable power station that has cost the rate-payers millions of dollars to replace with gas turbines and other system augmentations to ensure a more reliable electrical future.

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