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Candidates in the California governors race have backed nuclear power for perhaps the first time in the state’s recent gubernatorial race history. This makes sense with nuclear power being a clean baseload power resource that could allow the state to lower it’s emissions while not hindering economic growth. However, nuclear power isn’t mentioned much in the state as one could imagine.
Monday, Professor David MacKay made the point in Britain that nuclear power is must be utilized with the popular use of electric vehicles. California Governor candidate Steve Poizner agrees in the AP article below.
“It will be the perfect technology to allow for the rapid expansion of electric vehicles,” Poizner said during a panel discussion focused on housing, transportation and infrastructure.
It is refreshing to see that more people are realizing that mass electric vehicle use is nearly impossible without a clean baseload power source like nuclear power. Especially in California. Let’s hope that this trend continues in the state.
Calif. gubernatorial hopefuls back nuclear power
By Juliet Williams
Associated Press (Posted under Fair Use)
09.16.09SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Two of the three leading Republican candidates for California governor next year said Wednesday they support nuclear power to help the state meet its energy demands. Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said during a public policy forum at Santa Clara University that he would make the expansion of nuclear power a campaign theme. He said it would be an important tool to help California meet its future energy needs but said state regulations prohibit its expansion.
“It will be the perfect technology to allow for the rapid expansion of electric vehicles,” Poizner said during a panel discussion focused on housing, transportation and infrastructure.
Another GOP candidate, former Congressman Tom Campbell, later said he also supports nuclear power. Republican hopeful Meg Whitman, the former eBay chief executive, did not attend the conference because she was in San Diego addressing a Fortune magazine event on women’s leadership.
One of the potential Democratic contenders, Attorney General Jerry Brown, said he does not oppose nuclear technology, adding that California should consider all options to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Brown, who served as governor from 1975 to 1983, has not announced his candidacy for another term as governor but is contemplating a run.
Brown declined to comment on the recent legislation that would have required California’s utilities to get a third of their power from renewable sources but limited the amount they could import from out of state. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he will veto the bills in part because of that restriction.
On Tuesday, he signed an executive order establishing the 33 percent mandate with fewer restrictions than were included in the bills, which were pushed by majority Democrats. Utilities will have to meet the goal by 2020.
Brown declined to comment on the legislation because he hadn’t read the entire bill but said he supports getting renewable energy from California and from wind, solar and geothermal producers in other states.
Campbell, a former Schwarzenegger finance director, said he also agreed with the governor’s decision to veto the renewable energy bills.
Four of the five leading candidates for governor were attending a forum on such issues as energy, education, transportation, taxes and infrastructure sponsored by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. The group said its goal was to bring together business, nonprofit and civic leaders to discuss how to make California more competitive.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who is seeking the Democratic nomination, was scheduled to speak about education. He was not immediately available to discuss his views about nuclear power.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
John Wheeler at “This Week in Nuclear” has posted a well-reasoned argument defining nuclear as “renewable” energy. Check it out and re-post it if possible.
Without nuclear power included in the definition, California will never become independent of outside suppliers of its energy needs. Add in the need for salt water desalinization to provide fresh water for drinking and agriculture, in lieu of building surface water storage reservoirs, and the path forward is even more clear.