79-04-B6
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Nuclear Power II[edit]
Transcript[edit]On the last broadcast I commented on the misconceptions many of us have had regarding the dangers of generating electricity by the use of nuclear reactors. Today I'd like to give you some of the economic advantages of nuclear power. We presently generate about 12 percent of our power in nuclear plants. That saves us 450 million barrels of oil each year. If we had to import that oil, it would add $6 billion to our trade deficit. It also means consumers have saved between two and three billion dollars on their electric utility bills. Incidentally, we are increasing our need for electricity at a steady rate. Today, it amounts to almost 40 percent of all energy consumed and the percentage is growing. Let's take one example of what nuclear power means in the Northeast states. You've seen or heard the news stories the last couple of years about the Seabrook plant in New Hampshire. A very active anti-nuclear power group calling itself the "Clamshell Alliance" has successfully delayed construction of the Seabrook plant. The group's name comes from the fact that it based its opposition on the claim that discharge of heated water from the plant would destroy a few acres of sea bottom as a breeding area for clams. Seabrook answered by changing its design and creating a cooling tower so that no hot water would bother the romancing clams. That didn't, however, cool down the demonstrators. Construction resumed thanks to the herculean efforts of New Hampshire's then-Governor Mel Thompson, but he paid a considerable price for carrying out his duty. In spite of having kept his state economically sound with the lowest tax burden in the nation he was narrowly defeated in the '78 election because of a small temporary charge added to utility bills to cover the ongoing Seabrook construction costs. The charge will be removed when the plant is completed. Unfortunately the good people of New Hampshire (undoubtedly influenced to a certain extent by the loud-mouthed "clamshellers") weren't aware that the Public Service Company of New Hampshire is providing them with electricity at a savings of more than 19 percent right now because of nuclear power. Nor did they know that every year that Seabrook is delayed they pay almost $60 million extra. That's a pretty high price for letting the anti-nuclear demonstrators have their fun. The House Committee on Government Operations has issued a report that nuclear fuel is about one-sixth the price of coal and one-eighteenth the price of oil in generating electricity. A recent report also set the cost for three years delay in construction of a nuclear plant at $350 million. All of which must, of course, be paid ultimately by the consumers. The history of man's progress is directly tied to man's access to power or, if you will, energy. It started with his discovery of the use of fire, the wheel and then fossil fuels to produce steam power and finally electricity. Our standard of living is directly proportional to our ability to reduce the cost of energy. We have brought development of nuclear power almost to a complete halt here in the U.S. at a cost to us of what must be trillions of dollars. Why? This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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