OUR OPINION: NUCLEAR BAN
Time to lift the ban
Minnesota's 16-year-old ban on the construction of nuclear plants has been around so long most Minnesotans are barely aware it exists. Although the subject periodically surfaces during the legislative session it's not the sort of topic that comes up often in small town cafes.
It's an issue, however, that we ignore at our own peril. Satisfying consumers' ever-growing demand for electricity is going to be increasingly difficult in the years to come.
Credit Rolf Westgard, a member of both the Brainerd Dispatch's advisory board, and the American Nuclear Society, with bringing up the subject in a persuasive Aug. 13 guest column in the Brainerd Dispatch.
We agree with his position, that it's time to lift the ban on building nuclear power plants in Minnesota. Expanding the number of nuclear power plants in the state is not a decision that should be rushed, but until the moratorium is lifted there can't even be a serious discussion of nuclear power and its attributes. There are problems associated with nuclear power, most notably the lack of safe storage areas for nuclear waste, but the attributes make it too advantageous to ignore.
Nuclear power is cleaner, more reliable and cheaper than most other power sources. It doesn't generate carbon dioxide emissions as coal-fired plants do. The up time percentage at Minnesota's Prairie Island and Monticello plants is 90 percent, Westgard pointed out, stopping only once every 20 months or so for refueling and maintenance.
Two of Minnesota's three major party candidates for governor, Independence Party nominee Tom Horner, and Republican Rep. Tom Emmer, favor lifting the ban. Former Democratic Sen. Mark Dayton is opposed to ending the moratorium.
Renewable sources, such as wind and solar power, may have their place in producing energy, but they are not yet dependable enough to make a serious dent in the demand that's expected.
Never let it be said the Dispatch doesn't listen to the counsel it receives from its advisory board members. Westgard was right. It's time to lift the ban on new nuclear plants.