|
In 2010,the Obama Administration formed the Blue power utility or cooperative to reallocate its allocation of the
<br /> Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future(BRC) to PTC to an investor-owned utility project co-owner or an entity
<br /> conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the engaged in the design or construction of the project in a manner
<br /> back end of the nuclear fuel cycle.The BRC released its report agreeable to each party.The Association also believes the placed-
<br /> in 2012,which contained eight key recommendations.APPA, in-service date currently in the statute that limits by when
<br /> along with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Corn- facilities can claim the nuclear PTC should be eliminated.This
<br /> missioners(NARUC),Nuclear Energy Institute(NEI),Nuclear will enable new nuclear that may not be in service by the end of
<br /> Waste Strategy Coalition(NWSC),National Rural Electric Co- 2020 to claim the remaining credits,thus fostering the construc-
<br /> operative Association(NRECA),and Edison Electric Institute tion of new nuclear generation,the intended policy goal of this
<br /> (EEI) endorsed the report.The Association also supports the provision in EPAct05.
<br /> construction of a final repository for nuclear waste,including, On April 7,2016,APPA joined other trade associations,
<br /> but not limited to,Yucca Mountain. EEI,NEI,NRECA,and the Large Public Power Council,in a
<br /> On March 24,2015,President Obama signed a memoran- letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch(R-
<br /> dum authorizing the Secretary of Energy to develop separate re- UT)and Ranking Member Ron Wyden(D-OR)supporting the
<br /> positories for high-level radioactive waste resulting from atomic needed aforementioned fix to the advanced nuclear production
<br /> energy defense activities and waste produced at nuclear power tax credit.
<br /> plants. By authorizing the"de-commingling"of civilian and
<br /> nuclear waste,President Obama reversed a policy that was set
<br /> by President Reagan in 1985 that essentially provided blueprints Small Modular Reactors
<br /> for the development of the Yucca Mountain site as a permanent SMRs,currently under development,have the potential to be an
<br /> repository for nuclear waste.Currently,most defense waste, important addition to America's energy mix.SMRs are nuclear
<br /> which makes up about 15 percent of nuclear waste inventory, reactors that can generate up to 300 megawatts of power and
<br /> is stored at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington, can be linked together to provide incremental power as load
<br /> Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho,and Savannah River Site in grows.SMRs can yield significant economic,energy security,
<br /> South Carolina.The Obama Administration believed the memo and environmental benefits.They are expected to be attractive
<br /> would help make it easier to locate and license a permanent site options for generating electricity from an energy source that
<br /> for the storage of defense waste. Supporters of Yucca Mountain does not emit greenhouse gases and can provide utilities with
<br /> were concerned that this reversal of policy was another attempt flexibility with regard to scalability and plant siting.
<br /> by the Obama Administration to stop any efforts to develop the DOE has provided funding for the accelerated development
<br /> site in Nevada. and commercialization of SMRs.They will provide utilities
<br /> with another carbon dioxide emissions-free resource and should
<br /> therefore be a significant component of future energy plans.
<br /> Nuclear Production Tax Credit On February 19,2016,DOE announced an agreement to
<br /> As part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct05),Congress support possible siting of an innovative SMR project at its Idaho
<br /> created the nuclear production tax credit(PTC)to facilitate National Laboratory(INL).The Site Use Permit allows APPA
<br /> the construction of new nuclear plants.While investor-owned member,Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems(UAMPS),
<br /> utilities(IOU)are able to take advantage of the nuclear PTC, to access the INL site to analyze environmental,safety,and
<br /> public power utilities and rural cooperatives cannot,due to their siting conditions to identify potential locations suitable for
<br /> not-for-profit status. However,public power utilities and rural building its Carbon Free Power Project(CFPP).
<br /> cooperatives have partnered with IOUs in the construction of
<br /> new nuclear plants.
<br /> Public power utilities are critical partners in the construction Congressional Action
<br /> of new reactors for a variety of factors,including having the best In the 114th Congress,several nuclear-related bills were intro-
<br /> credit ratings in the electric utility industry.When public power duced.Senators Lamar Alexander(R-TN),Lisa Murkowski
<br /> utilities(and rural cooperatives)and IOUs partner to construct (R-AK),Diane Feinstein(D-CA),and Maria Cantwell(D-WA)
<br /> and co-own a new nuclear plant,the PTC is divided among the introduced S. 854,the Nuclear Waste Administration Act of
<br /> plant's owners on a pro-rata basis.The part apportioned to the 2015.The legislation sought to implement the BRC's recom-
<br /> non-profit owner is not usable,and,therefore,languishes— mendations to establish a Nuclear Waste Administration and
<br /> providing no benefit to electric customers and eliminating the create a consent-based process for siting nuclear waste facilities.
<br /> incentive intended by Congress.APPA believes that Congress Senators Harry Reid(D-NV)and Dean Heller(R-NV)intro-
<br /> should modify the PTC for nuclear facilities to permit a public duced S.691,the Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act.The
<br /> 32 PubUcPower.org
<br /> 214
<br />
|