22. 011 – H o w t o w rit e an O p - Ed ( 4/ 8/ 20)
Out l ine o f a n O p - Ed
Ho w t o m ee t M a s s a c hus e t t s ’ en er g y need s
B y Jo s h u a G o l d s t e i n , M ay 28 , 201 9 , T h e B o s t o n G l o b e
1 . L ed e: “ M as s ac h u s e t t s c l aim s t o c are ab o u t c lim a t e c h an g e ”
a . M as s a c h u s e t t s c ar e s ab o u t c arb o n e m is s io n s
b . M as s ac h u s e t t s i s s h u t t in g d o w n it s larg e s t c arb o n fr e e e n e rg y s o u rc e
c . M as s a c h u s e t t s is r e p lac i n g it w it h c arb o n - e m it t in g n at u ral g as
2 . N ut g r a f : “ T h e r e is a w a y t o m e e t M as s ac h u s e t t s ’ s e n e rg y n e e d s re liab ly an d af fo rd ab ly w h ile d e c a r b o n i zi n g q u i c k l y . ”
a . S o u t h K o r e a n e x p e r i e n c e a s e v i d e n c e
3 . A r g um e nt
a . P o t e nt i a l c o unt e r po i nt 1 : P o l i t i c a l hur dl e s
- T h e p r o j e c t is e c o n o m ic all y an d t e c h n ic ally f e as ib le
- P o lit ic s s h o u ld re ad j u s t g i v e n t h a t o t h e r b arri e rs ar e lo w
b . P o t e nt i a l c o unt e r po i nt 2 : S af e t y
- S p e n t f u e l i s l o n g - l i v ed a n d to xi c , b u t n o w o r s e th a n o th er f o r ev er - t o x i c i n d u s t ri al w a s t e s , an d t h e q u an t it ie s are s m all.
- D r y c as k d e s c rip t i o n t o e x p lain s afe t y an d h o w s m all t h e q u an t it ie s are .
- O p t io n s fo r lo n g t e r m s t o r ag e .
c . P o t e nt i a l c o unt e r po i nt 3 : C o s t
- A d m i s s i o n t h a t t h e U S h a s c o s t o v e r r u n p r o b l e m s .
- S o lu t io n : j u s t l e t t h e S o u t h K o r e a n s b u i l d i t f o r u s .
d . S t a nda l o ne po i nt 1 : E x pe r i e nc e
- S o u t h K o re a an d t h e UA E are alre ad y b u ild in g t h is t y p e o f r e ac t o r
- T h i s exp er i en c e p r o v i d es a g o o d f o u n d a ti o n f o r es ti m a ti n g th e c o s t a n d ti m e i t wo u l d t a k e t o b u i l d a n A P R 14 00 a t P l y m o u t h
e . S t a nda l o ne po i nt 2 : R e l i a bi l i t y
- A b o o s t i n c a r b o n f r e e e l e c t r i c i t y i n c e n t i v i ze s o t h e r i n d u s t r i e s t o d e c a r b o n i ze t h r o u gh e le c t rific at io n ( e x am p l e s : t ran s p o rt at i o n , in d u s t r y , h e at )
4 . C al l t o a c t i on : “ D o it fo r t h e k id s ”
L et’ s d o t h e rig h t th i n g to p r o te c t o u r c o m m u n i t y f o r t h e f u tu r e g en er a ti o n s .
H o w t o m e e t Massac h u se t t s ’ en er g y n eed s
By Jo s h u a G o ld s t e in , Ma y 28 , 20 1 9 , T h e B os t on G l ob e
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M as s ac h u s e t t s c lai ms t o c are ab o u t c limat e c h a n g e , b u t w ill p e rm an e n t ly s h u t d o w n it s larg e s t s o ur c e o f c a r bo n - f r e e e n e rg y , t h e P ilg rim n u c le ar p o w e r p l an t in P ly mo u t h , o n Frid ay . P ilg rim s u p p li e d mo re c arb o n - f r e e e le c t ric it y e v e ry y e ar t h a n all M as s ac h u s e t t s s o lar, w in d , an d h y d ro c o m bi ne d, a nd s up pl i e d i t 2 4 / 7 , y e a r - r o u nd, i n a n y w e a the r .
T h is c le a n e l e c t ric it y w ill b e re p lac e d w it h t h e f o s s il f u e l me t h an e , als o k n o w n as n a t u ra l g as . N e w na tur a l g a s pi pe l i ne s a nd po w e r pl a nts a r e b e i ng bui l t t hi s y e a r t o s u ppl y o ur g r i d, a nd o u r c arb o n e mis s io n s are e x p e c t e d t o ris e b y mo re t h an a millio n t o n s p e r y e ar as a re s u l t o f P ilg rim’ s c lo s in g .
I f we c a r e d a bo ut c lima t e c h an g e , w e w o u l d ra p i d ly re d u c e o u r g re e n h o u s e g as e mis s io n s ( “ d e c arb o n iz e ” ) . Sc ie n t is t s t e ll u s , in t h e la t e s t U n it e d N a t io n s re p o rt s , t h a t av o i d in g a c limat e c a ta s tr o phe r e qui r e s de c a r bo ni zi ng t he w o r l d by 2 0 5 0 , a g a r g a nt ua n ta s k .
Ma s s a c hus e tts c a n’ t do t ha t c ur r e ntl y be c a us e w e a r e a m e tha ne e c o no m y . C he a p na t ur a l g a s g en er a t es t w o - t h ird s o f o u r e le c t ric it y , h e a t s ma n y o f o u r h o me s , a n d p o w e rs o u r i n d u s t ri e s . B ut m e tha ne e m i ts g r e e nho us e g a s e s , bo th w he n i t b ur ns a n d w he n i t l e a k s unb ur n e d.
Re n e w ab le s w o n ’ t re p lac e o u r me t h a n e e c o n o my . E le c t ric it y f ro m s o lar an d w in d w ill alw ay s b e i nte r m i t te n t. N o b a t te r y c a n s to r e a w ho l e e c o no m y ’ s e ne r g y ne e ds l o ng - t e rm. So n at u ral g as c o mp an ie s s e ll m e t h an e as “ t h e p e rf e c t p art n e r f o r re n e w ab le s . ” W h e n t h e s u n s e t s , wh e n th e w i nd di e s , m e tha ne po w e r pl a nts q ui c k l y j um p i n to k e e p the g r i d up. De c a r bo ni za ti o n i t’ s no t.
T h e re is a w ay t o me e t M as s ac h u s e t t s ’ s e n e rg y n e e d s re lia b ly an d a f f o rd ab ly w h ile de c a r bo ni zi ng qui c k l y . I t’ s s i m pl e , i t’ s pr o v e n, a nd i t s e ts a n e x a m pl e o t he r s c a n f o l l o w : B ui l d f o u r lat e s t - g e n e ra t io n So u t h K o re an n u c le a r re ac t o rs o n t h e c lo s e d P ilg rim s it e , w it h i t s g rid c o nne c ti o n a n d i n fr a s tr u c tur e , to g e ne r a te m o s t o f Ma s s a c hus e tts ’ e l e c t r i c i ty — e i gh t t i m e s P ilg rim’ s p ro d u c t io n .
P o lit ic ally , t h is mig h t s e e m imp o s s i b le , b u t t e c h n i c ally an d e c o n o m ic ally it ’ s e as y . I t ’ s
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als o a lo t m o re e n v iro n m e n t ally f rie n d ly t h an t h e alt e rn at iv e s : M a t e rial t h r o u g h p u t in A RG U M E N T
n u c le ar p o w e r, f ro m mi n in g t o c o n s t ru c t io n t o w a s t e , is man y t ime s s mal le r t h an f o s s ils
o r re n e w ab le s .
N u c le ar p o w e r s c are s m an y p e o p le , b u t s t a t is t ic a lly it h as b e e n f ar s af e r t h an me t h a n e o r o t h e r f o s s il f u e ls . S o me s p e n t n u c le ar f u e l is lo n g - l i v e d a nd to x i c , but n o w o r s e t ha n o t he r fo r e v e r - t o x ic in d u s t rial w as t e s , a n d t h e q u an t it i e s are v e r y s mall. T h e f o u r re ac t o r s p ro p o s e d w o u l d g e ne r a te a l to g e the r a bo ut te n “ dr y c a s k s ” ( 1 8 - f oo t - t al l c y lin d e rs ) p e r y e ar , jo in i n g t h e s mall c o lle c t io n alre a d y o n s it e at P ilg rim. T h e s e c as k s s af e ly c o n t ai n ra d iat i o n , h av e n e v e r h a d a s e rio u s p ro b le m, an d are c e rt i f ie d f o r ma n y d e c a d e s . At s o me p o in t t h is s p e n t f u e l c an b e bur ne d i n ne w r e a c to r s c ur r e n tl y be i ng de s i g ne d, o r b ur i e d d e e p u nde r g r o und, a s F i nl a n d i s do i ng .
As a 1 3 t h - g e n e rat io n M a s s ac h u s e t t s re s i d e n t , I w an t t o le av e o u r c h ild re n an d g r an d c hi l dr e n a l i v a bl e , he a l thy , a n d pr o s pe r o us s ta te . B u r ni ng m o r e m e th a ne w hi l e a d di ng r e ne w a bl e s w o n ’ t g e t u s t h e r e . T h e r e is a p rac t ic al alt e rn a t iv e , if w e w o u ld ju s t u s e i t .
R e c e nt a tte m pts to bui l d U S nuc l e a r po w e r pl a nts ha v e be e n e x pe ns i v e fi a s c o s . T ha t’ s w hy Ma s s a c hus e tts s ho ul d ha v e th e S o ut h K o r e a ns b ui l d us t he i r A P R 1 4 0 0 — t he wo r l d ’ s m o s t a dv a nc e d, s a fe s t re a c t o r — w hi c h ha s a l r e a dy be e n b ui l t, o pe r a t e d, e x po r t e d, a nd c e r ti fi e d by t h e N u c le ar R e g u l at o ry C o mmis s io n f o r U S u s e .
T he fo ur - r e a c to r po w e r pl a n t w e ne e d i s a l r e a dy be i ng bui l t, w i th s o m e r e a c to r s o pe r a ti ng , i n So u t h K o re a a n d t h e U n i t e d Arab E mir a te s . T he s e e x pe r i e nc e s i ndi c a t e tha t a n i d e n ti c a l pl a nt i n P l y m o ut h w o ul d c o s t a b o ut $ 2 0 bi l l i o n a n d ta k e a de c a d e to c o m pl e te . T he c o s t w o ul d b e amo rt i z e d o v e r a 6 0 - y e ar lif e t ime , an d t h e e le c t ric it y w o u ld c o me t o mark e t at p r ic e s ro u g h ly c o mp e t i t iv e w it h o u r c u r re n t f o s s il f u e ls , b u t w it h g re at e r lo n g - t e rm p ric e s t ab ili t y .
T he s up pl y o f r e l i a bl e , a f fo r da bl e c l e a n e l e c tr i c i ty w o ul d bo o s t o ur s ta te e c o no m y by a t tr a c ti ng bus i n e s s a n d a c c e l e r a ti n g th e e l e c tr i fi c a ti o n o f t r a ns po r ta ti o n, i n dus t r y , a nd he a ti ng . Fo r i ns ta nc e , s hi fti ng to e l e c t r i c v e hi c l e s w o ul d s l a s h o i l c o ns um pti o n, a n d e l e c t r i c a i r - s o u r c e he a t pum ps w o ul d r e duc e m e tha ne us e d to he a t bui l di ng s . T hi s e l e c tr i fi c a ti o n, w hi c h w o ul d a l s o p ro v id e u s c le an e r , h e alt h ie r ai r, c o u l d b e s u p p o r t e d o v e r t ime b y s e v e ral mo re P ly mo u t h - st y l e p o w e r p l an t s , f o r i n s t a n c e at Se ab ro o k , N . H . ( U s in g e x is t in g n u c le ar p o w e r s it e s w o u l d s p e e d de pl o y m e n t a n d r e d uc e c o s ts . )
CA LL T O AC T I ON
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M I T O penCour s e W ar e ht t ps : / / oc w . m it . edu /
22. 011 N uc l e ar E ng i ne er i ng: S c i enc e, S y s t em s and S oc i et y
S pr i ng 20 20
F or i n f or m at i on about c it i ng t hes e m a t er i a l s or our T er m s o f Us e, v i s it : h ttp s ://o c w . m i t .e du/ t er m s .