U.S. Chamber of Commerce - December 4 - Chamber Calls for Renewal of License for NY Energy Facility

Chamber Calls for Renewal of License for NY Energy Facility
Says Indian Point is Key to State Energy Supply and Jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The United States Chamber of Commerce today called for a renewal of Indian Point Energy Center's operating license and said that a forced shutdown would be disastrous to New York's economy by causing the state to dip below its reserve requirements for power generation. The Chamber also noted that any substitute power would greatly increase emissions of greenhouse gases.

"If we're serious about meeting New York's future energy needs, protecting jobs, and reducing carbon emissions, you cannot take nuclear energy off the table," said William Kovacs, Chamber vice president for Environment, Technology and Regulatory Affairs. "Indian Point has a stellar track record on safety and reliability, and we cannot allow politics and Not In My Back Yard issues to interfere with meeting our future energy needs."

According to the Chamber, closing Indian Point would cost more than 1500 jobs, cut about 11 percent of the state's electricity supply, and increase energy costs between 13 and 25 percent. Closing Indian Point would also result in greater dependence on fossil-fuel burning energy facilities and a net increase of carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent, nitrous oxide by 19 percent, and sulfur dioxide by 11 percent.

"This isn't just about economics-anyone who claims they're serious about climate change without Nuclear power is not grounded in reality," said Kovacs. "If Indian Point is the trend, then society clearly does not want to address climate change; the truth is that we need to build at least 170 new reactors and this news makes it appear that we can't even build one."

While there has not been a nuclear power plant built in the U.S. in the last thirty years, the Chamber estimates the United States will actually need to construct 170 new nuclear facilities over the next fifty years in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 550 parts per million (ppm) while keeping nuclear power generation at its current share of the U.S. market.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.