Debate needed on future of nuclear energy

A group of Pennsylvania legislators is calling for action to prevent the planned closure of two nuclear power plants — Three Mile Island in Dauphin County and Beaver Valley, northwest of Pittsburgh.

Three Mile Island’s owner, Exelon Corp., has stated that TMI will close in September 2019 unless it receives assistance from Pennsylvania to mitigate high operating costs. Beaver Valley’s owner, FirstEnergy, has similarly said it will shut down within the next three years.

A new report by the Bicameral Nuclear Energy Caucus — co-founded by state Sen. Ryan Aument of Landisville — urges the governor and the General Assembly to take action to prevent these closures.

Nuclear energy is a thorny issue to navigate as we ponder the present and future of Pennsylvania’s energy grid and simultaneously juggle the crucial need for a reliable, diverse, economical, safe and clean energy infrastructure.

We’ll be honest: We’re unsure at this moment of the smartest way to handle the existing nuclear power plants in this state. The conflicting factors and priorities can seem headache-inducing.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s office has stated he “believes we need a robust conversation about our energy economy and looks forward to engaging with the General Assembly about what direction Pennsylvania will go in regards to its energy sector, including the future of nuclear power and the value of lower-emission energy for Pennsylvania’s economy and environment.”

Agreed. We need a robust and immediate conversation in Harrisburg about TMI and the state’s approach to nuclear energy. We appreciate that Aument has taken the lead in bringing this issue to the table.

A little more background: Pennsylvania is the second largest state, in terms of nuclear energy capacity, in the nation.

Its five nuclear power plants — including TMI, Beaver Valley and Limerick— are home to nine nuclear reactors that provide about 40 percent of the state’s total electricity production.

There are risks to nuclear energy, as we well know. Three Mile Island’s Unit 2 suffered a partial meltdown of its reactor core in 1979, just three months after beginning operation. Nearly 2 million people were exposed to small amounts of radiation. Unit 2 has been shut down since the partial meltdown, while TMI’s Unit 1 has been in operation since 1974.

There are also benefits to nuclear energy. Reactors provide electricity around the clock and are not as vulnerable to extreme weather events as the infrastructure of the natural gas or coal industries.

Some argue that having nuclear power as part of the overall grid helps to keep electricity prices down for consumers.

TMI and Beaver Valley, according to their owners, combine to employ more than 1,500 Pennsylvanians and provide work for thousands of contract laborers.

“The loss of these (nuclear) plants would be a devastating and permanent blow to Pennsylvania’s communities, economy, and environment,” Aument says.

But, according to a recent article by The Associated Press, nuclear power plants are struggling with profitability as they are “buffeted by a flood of natural gas plants coming online, relatively flat post-recession electricity demand and states putting more emphasis on renewable energy and efficiency.”

The legislators’ caucus that Aument co-founded has some ideas that we think should be explored by state lawmakers and Gov. Wolf in early 2019.

This is a difficult, layered topic. We urge state legislators to examine thoroughly whether actions can or should be taken to halt the planned closure of two of the state’s nuclear plants.

Energy costs, energy-grid diversity and capacity, environmental issues, jobs, safety and health risks — these are all important factors that should be weighed in Harrisburg.

We are grateful that Aument’s caucus has put together part of the framework for having these discussions.

It’s a debate that should not be put off, given the planned closure of TMI about 10 months from now.