2007.10.30: October 30, 2007: Headlines: Figures: Staff: Politics: City Government: Energy: Engineering: My San Antonio: Phil Hardberger endorses a proposal to be a partner in adding two nuclear reactors to the South Texas Project
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2007.10.30: October 30, 2007: Headlines: Figures: Staff: Politics: City Government: Energy: Engineering: My San Antonio: Phil Hardberger endorses a proposal to be a partner in adding two nuclear reactors to the South Texas Project
Phil Hardberger endorses a proposal to be a partner in adding two nuclear reactors to the South Texas Project
"The last reactor project we did 25 years ago cost a good deal more than was estimated. But I don't think you'd find anybody in San Antonio today who would say that was a really bad decision. It has proven its worth. To go a little further in my thinking: Our options are to do nothing and wait for Spruce 2 (a coal-fired plant) to come online in 2010. But that's not a viable option. We're going to run out of power in 2016. We need to be well into the construction phase (of the nuclear addition) by the time Spruce 2 comes online." San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger served as a Peace Corps Staff member in the 1960's.
Phil Hardberger endorses a proposal to be a partner in adding two nuclear reactors to the South Texas Project
Q&A with San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger
Web Posted: 10/20/2007 10:38 PM CDT
Vicki Vaughan
Express-News
San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger has decided to endorse a proposal by the staff of CPS Energy to be a partner in adding two nuclear reactors to the South Texas Project, a nuclear plant in which the CPS already owns a 40 percent share. Hardberger shared his views with a reporter in a recent telephone interview.
Q: Was this a hard decision to make?
A: Yes. It was not a slam dunk. It was a very hard decision. And I cannot say with 100 percent certainty that I'm right. Ask me in 2025.
Q: What is the estimated cost of building two nuclear reactors?
A: It'll be expensive. You have one good guide mark – the last time we built our two the cost was about $6.6 billion. There are a couple of influences on that price with the new one. We already have the infrastructure; we have the land and the water. We didn't have any of that the first time. And the technology is more certain. The negative is that construction costs keep going up.
Having said all that, the price is going to be what the last one cost us and it could be $2 billion more.
More coverage
CPS Energy may make history with new nuclear reactors
Talk back
Tell us your thoughts about CPS Energy's plan to increase nuclear power.
The last reactor project we did 25 years ago cost a good deal more than was estimated. But I don't think you'd find anybody in San Antonio today who would say that was a really bad decision. It has proven its worth.
To go a little further in my thinking: Our options are to do nothing and wait for Spruce 2 (a coal-fired plant) to come online in 2010. But that's not a viable option. We're going to run out of power in 2016. We need to be well into the construction phase (of the nuclear addition) by the time Spruce 2 comes online.
Q: Isn't it cheaper to build coal or natural-gas fired plants?
A: But then you are the total captive of the world market. Everything OPEC does affects you. You are stuck – just as we're stuck when we drive into a gas station. Whatever is the price at the pump, we pay. We don't get a vote on it.
I am still concerned about rates, and there's a proposition I put on the table I'd require for my support. I have proposed that in a two-year term (CPS) cannot ask for more than 5 percent increase. That will continue until the (plant addition) is online.
Q: Are you concerned about safety issues and the storage of spent fuel?
A: You do have the spent fuel problem and some lingering fears of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. Those are not unfounded fears, but the technology has greatly increased and I do not think the danger now is particularly great. A coal-fired plant or gas plant can blow up. I think nuclear is at least as safe, and with the new technology, it would be safer.
Q: Will the public be weighing in on this?
A: Yes. We've suggested that CPS have some public forums to that people can be brought up to speed. The more input the better. There are some time constraints on this one, because the first plant in the country to start is going to get many more dollars in subsidies.
I believe at the moment we are sitting in first place (to get a license). We have a very good chance, if we move with some direction and clarity, to be one of the first in the country. It will put us in an enviable position.
Q: So you just returned from a five-city tour of China. Did that affect your outlook?
A: China needs huge amounts of electricity, so they're building coal plants quickly. But pollution is everywhere. We were in five cities and I couldn't see more than a couple of blocks ahead of me in any of them. It's like L.A. was on its worst day.
Q: Was that a big factor in your decision to endorse the addition to the South Texas Project?
A: The convincer was past experience. It's not as if we haven't gone down this road before. We're glad we did (invest in the plant), even though there were some bad moments. That was the real clincher.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: October, 2007; Staff Member Phil Hardberger; Figures; Staff; Politics; City Government; Energy; Engineering; Texas
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Story Source: My San Antonio
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; Staff; Politics; City Government; Energy; Engineering
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