[NukeNet] Drought could force shutdown of nuclear, coal plants

Tue Nov 27 13:33:01 EST 2007

With 48% of the nation's water being used by thermoelectric power 
plants, the water issues are a real weak spot for them.  Combine 
global warming and drought with the fact that some nuclear reactors 
and coal plants have had to scale back power generation on really hot 
(and high electricity-demand) days since they can't cool their water 
sufficiently.

Drought could force shutdown of nuclear, coal plants

Triangle Business Journal - by Frank Vinluan
November 26, 2007
http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2007/11/26/story5.html

[If the ongoing drought stretches into next summer, worsening water 
shortages could cause nuclear power plants such as Shearon Harris to 
go off-line.]

RALEIGH - North Carolina's electric utilities, among the largest 
water customers in the state, are dusting off contingency plans to 
manage their power plants if lake levels continue to drop due to the 
ongoing drought - plans that could lead to higher costs for consumers.

Both Progress Energy and Duke Energy say that if they don't have 
enough water to run their coal and nuclear plants, they'll either 
shift generation to natural gas fired gas plants or buy power on the 
open market - costs that would be passed on to the utilities' customers.

James McLawhorn, director of the electric division of the North 
Carolina Utilities Commission's Public Staff, which represents 
consumers in hearings that determine how much utilities can charge 
for power, says the state does not yet face an immediate threat, 
adding that the utilities have enough water to last through winter. 
But industry observers say the Southeast's continuing dry weather 
could have a longer term impact.

Tom Haywood of Energy Intelligence, a New York company that tracks 
the energy industry, says that if utilities switch their generation 
to natural gas-fired plants, demand would likely push up natural gas prices.

"It will be felt everywhere," Haywood says.

Both coal and nuclear plants heat huge amounts of water to generate 
steam to spin turbines. The plants also use water for cooling. The 
Edison Electric Institute, a utilities trade group, says it has heard 
some water concerns voiced within the energy industry. Spokesman Ed 
Legge says utilities try to manage power production by having a 
balanced portfolio of generation.

The drought could shift that balance. In North Carolina, 60 percent 
of generation comes from coal plants, with 32 percent from nuclear 
plants, 2.5 percent from natural gas plants and 3.5 percent from 
hydroelectric plants. Both Duke and Progress also have plants in 
South Carolina that contribute power across the border. But by far, 
coal and nuclear account for the bulk of the power production.

Each utility has scaled back hydroelectric generation. Duke 
spokeswoman Marilyn Lineberger says that if the drought continues, 
turning to more natural gas generation would be part of Duke's 
"mitigation strategy." Natural gas-fired plants use less water 
because they burn the fuel itself to spin the turbines.

Progress spokesman Mike Hughes says current conditions do not warrant 
shifting more generation to natural gas plants. But he acknowledged 
that natural gas generation or purchasing power on the wholesale 
market remain options. Both choices are more expensive than coal or 
nuclear plants, McLawhorn says. But if a nuclear plant's water intake 
gets to the point where it's drawing mud, it must shut down.

How did utilities get to this point? Haywood, who edits Energy 
Intelligence's Natural Gas Week publication, says there have always 
been droughts, just like there have always been hurricanes. The 
impacts now are much more pronounced because the affected areas have 
more people.

Bob Goldstein, a senior scientist at the Electric Power Research 
Institute, says he knows of instances in which plants in the United 
States and around the world have had to reduce generation or shut 
down because there simply was not enough water. Haywood says 
utilities will continue to produce power. Storage of natural gas is 
at record levels, meaning there will be plenty of fuel for power 
production, making higher costs a much bigger concern than potential 
blackouts. If those plants need to burn natural gas to replace 
generation from coal and nuclear plants, peak power usage will place 
even higher demand on natural gas.

"It may not be so much this winter when we see the impact," Haywood 
says. "But it may be in the spring and summer when we see the bills."

---

Mike Ewall
Energy Justice Network
215-743-4884
catalyst at actionpa.org
http://www.energyjustice.net