Plants Need To Sub Natgas With Nuclear

IBD Editorials ^ | July 30, 2008 | MARK J. PERRY

[Kaslin]

If ever there was a question about the need for nuclear power, it has certainly been dispelled now with the rising cost of fossil fuels.

The high price of oil, natural gas and coal should be a wake-up call to all regions of the country that the era of boundless use of cheap fossil fuels is over — and that nuclear power will need to play a larger role in supplying electricity to homes, business and industry.

Although natural gas is now the fuel of choice in electricity generation, its price has quadrupled in recent years and supplies are extremely tight. Not too long ago, the expectation of rising imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) led many to conclude that more abundant gas supplies and greater use of alternative fuels would end the long run of soaring gas costs.

But the pause in increased gas costs proved temporary. Natural gas prices are once again rising rapidly — 93% since last August. Major industries that require large amounts of gas for space heating and as a feedstock in making consumer products are once again in crisis.

So now is the time to point out that one-quarter of the gas supply is wasted on electricity generation. Since 1990, virtually all of the new electric-power capacity in the country has used natural gas, and that has driven up the price of natural gas.

[marron]

Its probably good to remember that France derives 80% of its electricity from nukes. A country the size of Texas has fifty-some nukes in operation.

We should have 50 on the books ourselves.

[DuncanWaring]

The editorial laments the shortage/high price of natural gas.

On the other hand, Haynesville Shale natural gas is now economically recoverable and enough to run the whole country for ten years.

[truthguy]

It looks like the people at IBD have been reading my posts here at Free Republic. Using Natural Gas to generate electricity is nothing short of an obscenity. In California it's about 42% of the electrical energy generated. Madness, absolute madness. If I were King, I would outlaw the use of natural gas for electricity except for some smaller peaker plants on rare occasions. California would have to make due with their windmills and solar panels. Good luck. It the lights go out in CA because they fail to build Nuclear Power Plants, TFB!
We must expand our use of Nuclear Power and we must do it in a very big way.