Status of Yucca Mountain
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DOCKET 08-IEP-1F DATE SEP 25 2008 RECD. SEP 25 2008 AB 1632 ASSESSMENT OF CALIFORNIA’S OPERATING NUCLEAR PLANTS APPENDICES EPORT R ONSULTANT C Prepared For: CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION RAFT D Prepared By: MRW & Associates, Inc. September 2008 CEC-100-2008-005-D-AP Preliminary Draft – Not to Be Cited Appendices APPENDIXA:FEDERALWASTEDISPOSALEFFORTS ..............................................................................................1 STATUSOFYUCCAMOUNTAIN .........................................................................................................................................1 LicensingDevelopments.......................................................................................................................................1 LegislativeDevelopments.....................................................................................................................................3 LegalChallenges...................................................................................................................................................5 PotentialManagementChanges..........................................................................................................................6 STATUSOFREPROCESSINGINITIATIVE ................................................................................................................................6 STATUSOFCENTRALIZEDSTORAGEINITIATIVES..................................................................................................................10 WORKSCITED .............................................................................................................................................................12 APPENDIXB:GENERATIONALTERNATIVESSOURCEMATERIAL..........................................................................16 RESOURCEPOTENTIAL ..................................................................................................................................................16 NuclearandGasͲFiredPowerPlants..................................................................................................................16 WindͲPoweredPlants.........................................................................................................................................16 SolarThermalPlants ..........................................................................................................................................18 SolarPhotovolataicPlants .................................................................................................................................19 GeothermalPlants .............................................................................................................................................20 BiomassPlants ...................................................................................................................................................20 DemandͲSideResources.....................................................................................................................................21 INTERCONNECTION/RELIABILITYISSUES ............................................................................................................................24 NuclearPowerPlants .........................................................................................................................................25 GasͲFiredPowerPlants ......................................................................................................................................25 WindͲPoweredPlants.........................................................................................................................................25 SolarThermalPlants ..........................................................................................................................................26 SolarPVPlants ...................................................................................................................................................27 GeothermalPlants .............................................................................................................................................27 BiomassPlants ...................................................................................................................................................28 DemandͲSideResources.....................................................................................................................................28 COSTOFALTERNATIVEGENERATIONSOURCES ..................................................................................................................28 NuclearPowerPlants .........................................................................................................................................28 GasͲFiredPowerPlants ......................................................................................................................................29 WindͲPoweredPlants.........................................................................................................................................30 SolarThermalPlants ..........................................................................................................................................32 SolarPVPlants ...................................................................................................................................................33 GeothermalPlants .............................................................................................................................................35 BiomassPlants ...................................................................................................................................................35 DemandͲSideResources.....................................................................................................................................36 ENVIRONMENTALIMPACTS ............................................................................................................................................37 GreenhouseGasandOtherEmissions................................................................................................................37 LandUse.............................................................................................................................................................43 WaterUseandPollution ....................................................................................................................................45 OtherEnvironmentalIssues ...............................................................................................................................46 A-ii Preliminary Draft – Not to Be Cited LOCALECONOMICIMPACTS ...........................................................................................................................................50 NuclearPowerPlants .........................................................................................................................................50 GasͲFiredPowerPlants ......................................................................................................................................51 WindͲPoweredPlants.........................................................................................................................................51 SolarThermalPlants ..........................................................................................................................................52 SolarPVPlants ...................................................................................................................................................53 GeothermalPlants .............................................................................................................................................54 BiomassPlant.....................................................................................................................................................54 DemandͲSideResources.....................................................................................................................................54 WORKSCITED .............................................................................................................................................................55 APPENDIXC:LITERATUREREVIEWͲDIABLOCANYONANDSONGSSEISMICSETTINGS .......................................63 INDEXOFLITERATUREREVIEWED ....................................................................................................................................63 SUMMARIESOFLITERATUREREVIEWED............................................................................................................................70 A-iii Preliminary Draft – Not to Be Cited APPENDIX A: FEDERAL WASTE DISPOSAL EFFORTS It has been more than 20 years since Congress identified Yucca Mountain as the site for a potential repository. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) only recently submitted a license application for the repository. The regulatory review of DOE’s license application is expected to take years to complete, and final approval of the application is not a foregone conclusion. In light of this delay, options for spent fuel reprocessing and interim waste storage are also being considered. This appendix outlines the status of high-level waste disposal and spent fuel reprocessing initiatives. Status of Yucca Mountain The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended,