To the editor: Nuclear plants are among the most earthquake-resistant structures on the planet, something that your article on the Diablo Canyon plant near San Luis Obispo failed to convey.
Thirteen years ago, an earthquake pulled part of the facade off an office building at a nuclear plant in Virginia, but the reactor’s critical systems were undamaged. Nuclear power plants are built to withstand severe earthquakes.
In the last few years, plant designers and operators have added extensive equipment for earthquakes that, per the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, are “beyond design basis.” They’re set up for loss of connection to the grid and can cope on their own for substantial periods of time. Other industrial infrastructure, including oil refineries, pipelines, and pesticide factories, are not built to the same standards.
In case of a severe earthquake, a nuclear power plant is unlikely to cause problems, but the energy it produces will help with recovery.
Furthermore, renewables aren’t necessarily cheaper than the power from Diablo Canyon. Like any energy source, value is significantly more important than cost. California has some of the most robust solar plants in the country, yet electricity markets have hundreds of hours a year when prices are below zero.
In other words, during peak production hours, solar energy is worthless. California pays its neighbors to take the output.
A zero-carbon system will require a mix of solar, wind, hydro and nuclear. This kind of system can keep the probability of shortage to a minimum.
Realistically, there is no simple solution to addressing America’s energy needs in the face of increasingly severe weather events. Even so, nuclear is our largest source of carbon-free energy and our most effective tool to stabilize the climate.
Craig Piercy, Washington
The writer is chief executive of the American Nuclear Society.
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To the editor: The article fails to mention the other nuclear hazard and cost — what to do with the nuclear waste products.
These materials remain radioactive for thousands of years and must be properly stored to prevent contamination of surrounding areas. The United States does not currently have a permanent disposal facility for nuclear waste.
Also, check your homeowner’s insurance policy. You’ll likely find that nuclear contamination isn’t covered. These things should be considered in the costs of running and decommissioning a nuclear power plant like Diablo Canyon.
Steven Leffert, Lake Balboa
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To the editor: I expect I wasn’t the only reader struck by the front-page juxtaposition of the alarmist article about Diablo Canyon and the article about the rise in heat-related deaths.
Electrical blackouts aren’t just uncomfortable and inconvenient; they are literally a matter of life and death. So the extremely remote risk of nuclear meltdown has to be weighed against the near-certainty of deaths from blackouts without the nuclear backup for solar and wind energy.
Adequate battery or other storage is not yet available, and demand for electricity will continue to rise as vehicles are electrified. We are making a difficult but essential transition, and tough decisions will continue to be necessary.
Scott McKenzie, La Cañada Flintridge
