Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Nuclear Reactors in Wisconsin

I was watching the news tonight and they were saying many Americans live within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant. I wasn't even sure Wisconsin had nuclear power plants. This is what I discovered from the U.S. Energy Information Web Site. Both of Wisconsin's Nuclear Plants are located on Lake Michigan. As Japan shows they obviously need a good source of water. The web link is here:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/state_profiles/wisconsin/wi.html

Wisconsin Nuclear Profile
State Nuclear Profiles with data for 2008
Last Updated: September 2010
Next Update: August 2011

State Overview

There are two operating nuclear power plants in Wisconsin:

    Kewaunee in Kewaunee County
  • Kewaunee was the fourth nuclear plant built in Wisconsin, and the 44th built in the United States.
  • In June 2005, the plant was acquired by Dominion from its previous owners, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation and Alliant Energy. The Virginia-based company owns the North Anna and Surry plants in its home state, and acquired one other out-of-state plant, Millstone in Connecticut.
    Point Beach in Manitowoc County
  • Wisconsin's first commercial reactor, Point Beach 1 is one of the oldest reactors still in service. It went into commercial service in December 1970.
  • In October 2007, Wisconsin Energy Corporation completed the sale of the Point Beach facility to FPL Energy.
  • On October 7, 2007, Florida Power & Light acquired Point Beach from the Nuclear Management Company. The purchase price was reported as $998 million, of which $215 million was for fuel, inventory, and other items.

Contribution of Nuclear Power

Wisconsin’s nuclear capacity is approximately 10% of the State’s total electric generating capacity.

Nuclear generation represents about 20% of the State’s total generation.

Wisconsin is a net importer of electric energy, importing 20% of its electric power use.

License Renewals

  • Kewaunee: In August 2008, Kewaunee requested approval for a 20-year life extension. The current license expires December 21, 2013.
  • Point Beach: In December 2005, Point Beach received approval for a 20-year life extension. Unit 1’s license now expires in October 2030. Unit 2’s license now expires in March 2033.

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

your point?

Anonymous said...

I see that Ken Bates has once again acted without school board approval in spending the taxpayers money on legal fees. Why? Because Wendy Schultz acted on her own, got her undies all in a bundle about who she thinks should be on the school board. Ken and Wendy, why don't the two of you pay for those legal fees, since they were not approved by the board, and the two of you were acting on your own volition?

Anonymous said...

Before you make any personal attacks, read the Board policy on legal issues. Get your facts correct.

Anonymous said...

My facts are straight.

Anonymous said...

What’s going on at GL school THIS time? It seems certain people are trying to throw eggs on Board members Sydney Rouse and Harley Reabe. Out of the blue, the school’s attorney claims they can’t be on the Town Board and the School Board. Oh wait, Harley has done this already for two years and Sydney for one year. But SURPRISE, more school legal fees! Looks awfully fishy. Don’t believe me? There’s a pair of articles in the local newspaper (3-24). Anyone know who’s behind this? Did the School Board end up making a decision at the meeting last week?

Anonymous said...

The article in the paper explain it very well. There is no conflict of interest. Ken Bates needs to go.

dmark said...

What is Chief's point?
Has anyone considered what would would happen is we suffered a disaster similar to what has happened in Japan? Imagine if Point Beach has a cooling failure and then a rupture of the containment vessel. The US government has advised US citizens in Japan to evacuate an area 50 away from the stricken plant. A 50 mile radius from point Beach includes the cities of Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, and Fon du Lac. Upwards of a half million people in all. Everyone gathering what they can and heading west or south. Can you imagine a refugee camp in Tuscumbia?
Then think of the economic results. First, there will be zero tourist dollars into the state, not one. Secondly, all agricultural revenue will disappear. The milk industry first due to fear of cesium contamination of the milk product and eventually all ag products. "Wisconsin corn? Is it safe? I'll pass." The Packers will be the last active business going and even they will have to find somewhere else to headquarter.
It would be 25 to 50 years before the state recovered, if ever.

dmark said...

So, after reading my last post, you say: "It can't happen here, we have safety regulations and inspections!"
Ah, but my Teabagging friends, you have your Randian wet dream right within your grasp! You elected your ilk to state government and have almost got the Fed in your grasp. Soon the invisible hand of the free market will be the law of the land!
No longer will our businesses be forced to comply with draconian regulations. Wisconsin is open for business! Why should power companies profits be continually drained following tedious and expensive "safety" regulations?
No longer will we be forced to spend our hard earned tax dollars on the lavish lifestyles of inspectors. Living the life of Riley with their salaries and health benefits and pensions!
Certainly we have little or nothing to worry about.

Get Real said...

Meanwhile you will die in a car wreck! You people are so theatrical. How many people in this country or world die from nuclear fall out? Meanwhile 100,000's die each year from auto wrecks and the flu.

Anonymous said...

So great to have the rude, insulting dmark back in town. NOT!

Most nuclear plants that exist today are antiquated. However, the new designs that are being built have excellent safety features that make them very safe.

I am all for safe, nuclear energy. I wish we had far more nuclear power plants in the United States.

Anonymous said...

So I guess TOB Supervisor Ron Triemstra is setting precedence that placing his school board campaign signs in the public right-of-way and not asking permission of private property owners to place signs on the property is OK.

My guess is that the Town Board will not enforce the ordinance for placing signs to close to the road.

My guess is that if anyone else did such a blatant display of dis-regard of the rules that they would be called on it.

Anonymous said...

Ahhh, the signs of Triemstras that I have seen are on the EASEMENTS which is NOT private property. And more people are more likely to get killed again at Hwy 23 and Cty A than a nuclear disaster at Point Beach but let's keep the speed limit at 55 and do nothing about making that intersection safer. Some of you people really crack me up.

Anonymous said...

SOMEBODY CALL THE SIGN POLICE!

Anonymous said...

Maybe you can get Obama to appoint a Green Lake County sign czar.

Yes, all we need is bigger government.

Anonymous said...

I guess in the future candidates will not need to get out of their car, they can simply place the signs along the side of the road.

Anonymous said...

There really are better things to worry about than where signs are. I will be voting for Ron Triemstra, regardless of where his sighs are placed. I will also be voting for Janet Busboom, who doesn't have signs (that I know of). They will both be excellent school board members and do right for the schoolchildren AND the taxpayers.

Anonymous said...

Spoken like a true CARE person.

Wait...two questions. What is Ron and Janet's interest in the school? Have they ever been inside?

Anonymous said...

Ron and Janet care as much about the school as you or I. Janet Busboom is a life-long educator with a PhD, you can't get more qualified than she is in school matters.

Under your logic, a mechanic who has never sat inside a certain car would not know how to fix it.

Anonymous said...

What is Ron and Janet's interest in Green Lake school, considering they have never attended a meeting or anything for that matter?

Is it their republican political friends that put them up to it?

Is it purely tax interests?

Is it to fight the evil IB?

Is it to fight the evil KB?

Anonymous said...

Wow, thought I was on the wrong blog subject, till I went back and re-read the title 'Nuclear Reactors in Wisconsin'. Looks like quite a bit of work was done by the cheif to start this line of conversation! Do you all have no respect? I beleive your subject was addressed a few days back... why don't you start your own blog if you can't respect the new conversation being introduced. Thank you cheif for your research, I did find the information interesting. It seems to me that we aren't getting anything for the risk we assume here in Wisconsin. Not to mention the risk to the Great Lakes themselves. I for one don't think the risk is worth it when it comes to nuclear power. It isn't clean, it is so dirty that the residual pollution will be around for thousands and thousands of years!

Anonymous said...

So, you have an excel spread sheet on who attends meetings and how often? You are a joke. Ron Triestra and Janet Busboom have both attended school board meetings. They care about the future of the schools in Green Lake, which are being run into the ground by our current administration and (certain) members of the school board. Ron Triemstra and Janet Busboom want to ensure that the schools remain in Green Lake and have a solid, sustainable future. They care about the quality of education that the students are receiving. Shame on you for trying to smear their intentions and their integrity.

Ron Triemstra and Janet Busboom will be getting my vote because they deserve to be on the school board and will do what is right for our schools.

Everyone in Green Lake is sick and tired of the division in the community over the school.

Anonymous said...

They CARE about the future of the schools in Green Lake, which are being run into the ground by our current administration and (certain) members of the school board.

Therein lies the division in the community over the school.

Those which actually attend the school and school activities believe and contribute toward efforts which strive to be among the best.

We disagree as to who is trying to run it into the ground and tear it down at every chance.

Anonymous said...

Tell that to the folks who voted against 3 referendums last year for HIGHER SPENDING. Just how much has the budget increased since Bates has come to Green Lake, and HOW MANY less students are there?

The numbers speak for themselves.

Anonymous said...

OMG - go to the right post to air your griefs about the school... this one is about Nuclear Energy! I am so sick of hearing about Ken Bates this and Wendy Shultz that and whoever, is whatever... I was really looking forward to hearing some intelligent conversation about the 'Nuclear' issue that the Cheif brought up!

Anonymous said...

You're right the numbers should speak for themselves.

This years budget is the same as when Nancy Burns was here. Under $4M.

And the number of students is the same 315.

The only thing that has increased is that the district is spending $1.5M over two years on building repairs and improvements. Replace 30% of the broken roof area which was there when you went to school decades ago. Also replace the broken heater and broken heat delivery system that was there when you went to school many more decades ago. Also replacing the broken ventilation and delivery system that may have worked when you went to school, but now will provide improved indoor air quality.

GO Nuclear said...

The safety record of nuclear power is outstanding. Radiation from nuclear plants has not caused a single known death worldwide, except at the Chernobyl plant in the Ukraine. The known death toll from the Chernobyl accident is less than 50.

Anonymous said...

I am in favor of more nuclear power plants in the United States. We need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Anonymous said...

yes, more nukes!

Anonymous said...

I am in favor of more nukes! I use my microwave every day to "nuke" my food. It's all good.

Anonymous said...

Please tell us how much has been spent for IB training - and is still being spent. Where is the money coming from? Last we heard, the IB Grant expired. Lots of substitute teachers getting paid so staff can go on our dollars for IB training all over the U.S.

Anonymous said...

Nobody has been able to get a straight answer on that, even though the question has been asked over and over.

Anonymous said...

Those in favor of nuclear power... where are we going to put all the nuclear waste generated from the power plants? Nobody in the US wants this dirty stuff in their backyard. What about going after our own oil for starts to get us away from our dependence on foreign oil and while we are doing that we can look for cleaner forms of energy like wind, solar and maybe some new inventions too! As for the comedian who states they 'nuke' their food.. I don't think your microwave runs on plutonium and uranium fission creating gamma waves. Nuclear power is extremely dangerous due to the fact that both plutonium and uranium have a half life of thousands of years. Yuck, can't we come up with something better. What happened to US innovation that leads the world?

Anonymous said...

From the answers I've heard presented, it amounts to about $1,500 per IB instructor or about $175 per IB learner (4K-12).

Anonymous said...

I love nuclear energy. :)

Anonymous said...

Well at least thanks for commenting about the subject at hand... Nuclear Energy that is - since that was supposesdly the subject.

Anonymous said...

I too am all in favor of nuclear energy. Ethanol is an expensive joke.

Anonymous said...

I heard today on the news that Obama is pushing for more ethanol production. This just goes to show you how out of touch with reality he is. He is in bed with the corn lobbyists, it is sickening.

Anonymous said...

Ethanol is a joke...costs more to produce than it creates in BTU's....nice work Barry in Charge!!!
But then again...isn't that the mentality of the current 'regime'....spend more than you take in and everything will fall into place??
Yup...ethanol is the fuel of fools!

Anonymous said...

Now beef prices are going up another 25-50%. Wow, is this due to the fact that farmers aren't growing feed for them anymore and instead providing corn for ethanol... this is a dangerous thing going on. Will we see starving people in the U.S. next?

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