Steven Moen

Minot

What is Sen. Hogue up to now? I just read he wants to spend $500 grand to study the feasibility of building a nuclear power plant in North Dakota. This begs to question, why?

We have ample supplies of wind, coal and natural gas to provide us with electricity for hundreds of years to come, but he wants to spend money to educate himself and the legislature on the possibility of nuclear. Sure nuclear is reliable, clean, etc., but all he has to do is ask BSC how it works or better yet ask any nuclear trained Navy vet to clue him in. The rest is readily available on the internet on how expensive it is to construct and operate.

Case in point is the 2 new units in Georgia that went commercial last year and the spring of this year, 7 years late, $17 billion over budget on these units that were to cost $14 billion for both. Instead cost $31 billion at a cost of $926/customer. Now that they are running, they have a 3.5 year operating license that cost $42 million. In 3.5 years it needs to be renewed and who knows how much that will cost. The last one prior to this was built in 1987.

In 2006 Exelon Generating Power Company applied for permits to build the Clinton nuclear power station. They still are going through the permitting process. The permit is good for 10-20 years but can be renewed after it expires for another 20 years. Who knows when or if it will be approved.

Again the question is why? Why would any company want to go through a 20 year or more permitting process, and why is Hogue interested in spending our money on this study?