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Nuclear Monitor #688

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Nuclear Monitor #688 MAY 7, 2009 | No. 688 ALLIANCE PUTS MISSOURI EPR ON HOLD On April 23-tthe day after Earth Day-AAmerenUE, Missouri's largest utility, announced that they were abandoning their pursuit of legislation to facilitate consumer financing of Callaway 2, a proposed 1,600 MW, Areva EPR. While they have not as yet withdrawn their application pending before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, their CEO, ALLIANCE PUTS MISSOURI Thomas Voss, stated at a news conference: "AmerenUE is suspending EPR ON HOLD 1 its efforts to build a nuclear power plant in Missouri." KK-7: TO RESTART OR NOT TO RESTART? 3 (688.5948) Missourians for Safe Energy - legislature pause when asked to reverse It wasn't supposed to turn out like this. the CWIP ban. NUCLEAR POWER IN TAIWAN: ACCIDENTS WAITING TO Ameren had greased the skids with more HAPPEN 5 than US$135,000 (Euro 100,000) in Ameren's bills contained more than a political contributions in the months repeal of the No-CWIP statute. GLOBAL DAYS OF ACTIONS TO leading up to the 2008 elections, and Described by one consumer advocate as COMMEMORATE CHERNOBYL heavily lobbied the Republican- "CWIP on steroids," the bills represented AND OPPOSE NUCLEAR dominated legislature prior to the a veritable utility wish-list, including the POWER January introduction of their prohibition of judicial review, the locking 6 Construction Work in Progress (CWIP) in of utility expenditures through rushed IN BRIEF 7 bills (SB 228 & HB 554). CWIP-which prudence reviews, and the requirement requires consumers to underwrite new that ratepayers pay 100 percent of funds construction by paying carrying costs on expended in the event of a plant plants being built-has been prohibited in cancellation. Missouri since 1976. Voters that year outlawed CWIP in an initiative election Ameren had applied to the NRC for a by a nearly two-to-one margin. This was COL (Combined License, to Construct one of several factors that gave the and Operate) for Callaway 2 in July of Latest: STUK threatens to stop Olkiluoto construction. The Finnish Nuclear and Radiation Safety Authority STUK has demanded that the builder of the nuclear reactor, the French company Areva, corrects faults with the 'automation' that guides the plant. The 'automation' is most likely the control- command system, which includes everything linked to start-up, operation and shut- down of the plant. STUK says that the construction of the EPR, has not proceeded according to official requirements: the design of the automation does not meet the basic principles required for nuclear safety, and on this basis STUK does not see any possibilities to approve the automation for installation at Olkiluoto. In a letter to Areva, made public on May 5 by a current affair program on Finnish YLE tv, STUK warns Areva that the building site could be shut down if the automation is not fixed and approved; "the attitude or lack of professional knowledge of certain individuals who represented the organization in question at meetings of experts, prevent progress in solving the concerns", states a letter addressed to the director-general of Areva. The construction of Olkiluoto, the first EPR, started in February 2005. It is becoming a real burden for Areva: expected costs have been skyrocketed to 5.4 billion Euro, and start-up date has been delayed 'until 2012', more than 3 years after scheduled date. YLE TV (news in English) website, 6 May 2009 2008. While they claimed they'd not yet Aluminum and Missouri Industrial lengthy, contentious hearings in both made a firm decision to build the new Energy Consumers, an association that houses, with strong opposition reactor, by the beginning of 2009 they includes Anheuser Busch, Boeing, especially in the Senate. While the had already spent more than U$60 Monsanto, Ford, GM, ConAgra and committees debated, Gov. Jay Nixon, a million (Euro 45 million) on the project, others. While these large corporations newly inaugurated Democrat, came out including ordering components and were not eager to enter a formal in opposition to CWIP, at least as preparing their license application. They alliance with the environmental proposed. Nixon simultaneously also geared up an ambitious PR effort, community, they maintained claimed to be for the Callaway plant, advertising Callaway 2 as the answer to communications and worked in tandem but opposed to having ratepayers Missouri's economic woes, and billing with Missourians for Fair Electric Rates. begin paying for it until two conditions it as "the largest construction project in As the session progressed, these were met, that Ameren commit to Missouri's history." Ameren promised companies created a new entity, the building Callaway 2, and that the NRC thousands of good jobs and enlisted Fair Electricity Rate Action Fund authorize construction. Nixon the support of the building trades (FERAF) (see: www.fairenergyrates.org), essentially kicked the ball down the unions for whom the field, saying in effect that new nuke represented Minnesota House upholds Republicans supporting the CWIP today is premature. the prospect of lots of moratorium on new build. change. It came just four A move to open the U.S. state weeks after an April 2, surprise jobs on one site. Ameren's allies got their bill of Minnesota to future nuclear Senate vote (42-24) to scrap voted out of the House power plants fell short on the nuclear moratorium, a Influential politicians in April 30, in the House of position shared by Republican Utilities Committee by a both parties also came Representatives. The vote was Gov. Tim Pawlenty. nearly unanimous vote. But out in favor of a 72-60 against undoing a 15- The House vote isn't the final it was clear by late February Callaway 2. So, by the year-old moratorium on the word on the issue. It could still that getting this passed in beginning of the session, construction of new nuclear come up as a House-Senate the Senate was not going to many observers facilities. A 1994 statute conference committee works be a cake walk. expected the CWIP bills prevents the Public Utilities on a final energy policy bill, A mid-March legislative Commission from authorizing although the House vote to sail through both recess provided further construction of new nuclear shows it will be difficult to pass chambers. What they opportunities for lobbying facilities. The state already has a change in the policy. didn't foresee was two nuclear plants, near Minnesota aims to get a members. opposition coming from Monticello and Red Wing. The quarter of its energy from more than just the usual action showed divisions within renewable sources by 2025 or And then the industrial suspects. the DFL (Democratic Farmer- even sooner. users really turned up the Labor-Party) majority, with AP, 30 April 2009 / heat. During the last week The Opposition Democrats voting on both www.clearwateraction.org of March they launched a Organizes sides of the issue and most TV advertising blitz across Anti-nuclear and the state. The message environmental groups, including and directed tens of thousands of from these ads, and from the robo-calls Missouri Coalition for the Environment, dollars into a multimedia effort to that targeted districts of key legislators, Missouri Sierra Club, Missouri Votes defeat CWIP. Their resources and was "Ameren Customers Face a 40% Conservation and Missourians for Safe political clout were a levelizer, making Rate Hike." The drama peaked on Energy came together as early as this less a David and Goliath struggle. Saturday, March 28, when Ameren August 2008 to form a coalition with went into Federal court in an attempt to any other groups interested in MoFER organized an early February quash the ads. They asked for an opposing CWIP. Immediately jumping CWIP Truth Tour, bringing former NRC emergency temporary restraining order on board were consumer groups like Commissioner and former chair of two to prevent the ads from airing that day AARP, the Consumers Council of state public utility commissions, Peter on the Elite Eight NCAA basketball Missouri and the Missouri Association Bradford, to Missouri to speak in St. playoffs, in which Missouri was for Social Welfare. Also lending Louis, Jefferson City, Columbia and competing. The court, however, significant support to the effort was the Kansas City. Bradford met with editorial rejected Ameren's tenuous claim that Office of Public Counsel, the state boards, legislators and key policy the ads were confusing viewers who agency charged with representing advisors to Missouri Governor Jay mistook them for Ameren's ads. consumer interests. Out of this initial Nixon. MoFER also mobilized a coalition building came a loose-knit grassroots lobby campaign, Two days later, on March 30, FERAF alliance, Missourians for Fair Electric encouraged members to make calls, announced the results of a statewide Rates (MoFER), a website, write their legislators and joined in a poll showing 82 percent of Missourians www.nocwip.org and an activist listserv lobby day at the Capitol in late opposed to CWIP (62 percent strongly to exchange information. February. opposed). Meanwhile MoFER held a news conference the same day and Another key component of the anti- Before the Committees made it clear that if the legislature CWIP alliance was Ameren's large When the bills came before the overturned this voter-enacted law, industrial customers, including Noranda committees in mid-February, there were opponents would petition to bring the 2 NUCLEAR MONITOR 688 issue back for another vote. The next simply biding its time. Scott Bond, unfair rate mechanism, activists have day, a divided Senate Commerce Ameren's Manager for Nuclear built alliances and bought some time. Committee passed a substitute version Development, told USA Today (March While Callaway 2 is not moving forward of SB 228, including some marginal 30, 2009), "Ameren wants to see if the at the moment, opponents are far from changes, but giving Ameren most first plants are successful.
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