Wisconsin Democrats Going Nuclear

Right Democrat has this, from the Wisconsin State Journal:

Let's hope the head of the state Public Service Commission is right about the future of nuclear power in Wisconsin.

Eric Callisto, chairman of the regulatory agency that oversees utilities across the state, predicted Monday that the Democratic-controlled Legislature will soon relax a moratorium on construction of nuclear power plants in Wisconsin.

Callisto said more nuclear plants, under certain conditions, could be part of the state's larger effort to address global warming and boost energy independence, according to WisBusiness.com.

"It will be part of the package to reduce our carbon emissions," Callisto said at an energy conference in Madison on Monday organized by WisBusiness.com.

"Nuclear needs to be part of the solution," Callisto added.

Conservation, energy efficiency and greater reliance on wind, solar and other alternative sources of energy must be pursued.

But Wisconsin also needs a reliable base line of power generation from cleaner coal and nuclear power.

Democratic President Barack Obama supports nuclear power as part of the nation's energy mix. Obama's home state of Illinois gets almost half of its electricity from nuclear power.

"It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power from the table," Obama correctly noted during his campaign.

Wisconsin now gets about 20 percent of its electricity from three nuclear reactors.

But after those reactors were built, lawmakers barred approval of any more such plants until there is a facility with capacity to store spent nuclear fuel from all nuclear plants in the state. The law, in effect, is a moratorium.

Although spent fuel is a concern, the moratorium was an overreaction. Spent fuel is being stored safely. And France and Japan are recycling spent fuel.

Moreover, a new generation of nuclear power plants in Europe and Asia are being constructed with much-improved safety standards, including greater resistance to terrorist attack.

Wisconsin needs to address climate change and reduce its reliance on foreign oil with a diverse strategy that includes nuclear power.

Callisto's encouraging comments should help guide the Legislature as it pursues a new era in energy.