By Howard Fischer
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-777279.mp3
Phoenix, AZ – The November election could determine whether more nuclear power
plants are in the state's future. Arizona Public Radio's Howard
Fischer explains.
At a debate Monday the three Republican candidates for the
Arizona Corporation Commission said the state will continue to
need a lot more power to meet future needs. Barry Wong said he
along with Marian McClure and Bob Stump do not want to place
artificial constraints on any source.
(We need to support a balanced portfolio, as Bob and Marian have
allueded to, whether it's from coal generation, nuclear, natural
gas or renewables which includes solar, wind, geothermal,
biomass. There must be a balance, not all from one or the other.)
But Democrat Paul Newman, running as a team with Sandra Kennedy
and Sam George, said diversification makes sense -- up to a
point.
(I am in receipt today of a letter, dated June 27, 2008, from the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission that says the design for a new
generation of nuclears is problematical at best. That means a
long delay for nuclear development in Arizona.)
The Republicans also support keeping coal as an option for future
power plants as cheap and abundant, while the Democrats say that
the link to climate change makes that a bad choice. Despite those
differences, all the candidates do support the existing
commission requirement that utilities in this state generate at
least 15 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2025.
For Arizona Public Radio this is Howard Fischer.