Pro-Ameren nuclear plant bill gets its time on the Senate floor
JEFFERSON CITY — The long-awaited debate over one of the session’s biggest issues — the repeal of Missouri’s construction work in progress law — is being debated today on the Senate floor. The bill is being pushed by AmerenUE to pave the way to build a new nuclear plant in Callaway County. The bill would allow Ameren to recoup some costs during the construction of the plant. Current law doesn’t allow utility companies to charge consumers costs related to a new plant until it is up and running.
Various consumer groups — including Ameren’s largest customer, Noranda Aluminum — have opposed the bill because they believe it will allow huge rate increases and reduce consumer protections.
Sen. Delbert Scott, R-Lowry City, is the sponsor of the bill, and he’s offering his arguments as to why it needs to pass.
“We really need to get this thing moving and get these jobs started,” Scott said.
The debate on the bill is expected to be long. There is plenty of opposition. House Speaker Ron Richard has said the House will delay action on its similar bill until the Senate moves.
Follow the debate at my Twitter feed, www.twitter.com/tonymess
We need to remember that AmerenUE told Sen. Kurt Schaefer that there would be only a 25% chance that Callaway II would ever be built to produce jobs or power, even if CWIP unfortunately were to pass. (See Columbia Tribune Feb. 24, ‘09 “No bailout for Ameren”.)
Throwing out our consumer protection No-CWIP law would not mean jobs for several years, and likely not ever. Whereas if we get busy and do the conservation, testing, stopping air infiltration, insulating,etc., that needs to be done to our buildings, there can be many sure jobs all over the state. Conservation is by far the cheapest and most practical way to gain energy. Missouri is one of the most energy-wasting states in the nation, and that is what we need to fix first and now.
What has happened to the sanity of our citizns? We need more enertgy as we are in an electrovic age. Conservation will help, but NOT solve the problem. We must move rapidly so the USA can become energy dependent.
Electric wise, nuclear is the lowest cost and less polluting. We must pass legislation so Ameren can begin collecting funds and get this project started. We will creat jobs and provide for low cost future energy. We start paying now, or it will be much more if we wait. Our state should also embrace new , clean coal technology powerplants. When we run out of power to provide even basic life needs, it will be too late. Without sufficient energy(both electrical and fossil fuel) our nation will run out of food shortly. Remember the old saying: “A person is only 9 meals away from forgetting what law and respect is about”
As Missouri’s population gets older and on fixed incomes, it will be much harder to pay in the future. I prefro to pay for future energy now, rather than send money we do not have to other countries who hate us . Take core of the USA first.
For those that are concerned about rates, please read the following article in the NY Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/us/09coal.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
Carbon cap and trade will shift dollars from the midwest, which relies on coal power for electricity to the coasts in the form of government funding of social programs, where the population density is greater. Missouri has some of the cheapest rates in the country. If Ameren does not build nuclear, it will have to build natural gas combustion turbines and invest billions in carbon capture technology. For turbines, customers will be at the whim of natural gas rates, which are very, very volatile. For carbon capture, the customer rates will skyrocket once the technology is installed. Nuclear is sounding better and better as it keeps customer money in the region and prevents the emission of green house gases.