INTRO: US President Donald Trump is promising “a golden era of energy” but many who work in nuclear power are concerned about how they fit into his vision.
The industry is in decline - one operator has filed for bankruptcy and plants are closing across the country.
One of them is Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, the site of a partial meltdown in 1979. It’s due to shut by September 2019.
Kate Fisher reports from the nuclear power plant.
IN: "There are 4...
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:25
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ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-ziz.mp3
***
There are 4 huge chimney stacks here at Three Mile Island but only two of them steam water vapour high into the sky. The other two have stood idle for nearly 40 years. After an accident stopped production.
Now owners Exelon say the remaining nuclear reactor will have to be retired too.
Union chairman NATHAN GROVE, is fighting to keep it open
“We’re competing against the subsidies that are given to other carbon free emitters like wind and solar and believe me I’m not anti-wind and solar, i’m truly all about diversity but when the playing field starts to get skewed and the government is starting to choose winners and losers, communities like here in Middletown are going to be the ultimate loser.”
VO: With cheap natural gas readily available and subsidies for renewable energy, nuclear power simply doesn’t pay any more.
But industry expert Samantha Gross from Brookings Institution says it will be hard to replace nuclear power plants once they close.
SAMANTHA GROSS, Brookings Institution
“Nuclear faces some real challenges. We’re seeing a couple of new nuclear plants which are under construction here in the US are really in jeopardy right now because the company that’s building them , westinghouse, has gone into bankruptcy. They underestimated the challenges and some of the financial risks in building those plants.“
VO: President Donald Trump does appears enthusiastic about the future of nuclear power - but he hasn’t been specific about what he plans for the industry.
U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
"We will begin to revive and expand our nuclear energy sector which I'm so happy about which produces clean renewable and emissions free energy. A complete review of U.S. nuclear energy policy will help us find new ways to revitalize this crucial energy resource "
VO: His words are encouraging to those whose livelihoods hang in the balance but time is running out.
President Trump has called for an energy revolution, celebrating American production on American soil, but people in this part of Pennsylvania have seen little evidence of that.
They're hoping Trump's enthusiasm translates into action soon.
Kate Fisher, Middletown, Pennsylvania
***ENDS***
The industry is in decline - one operator has filed for bankruptcy and plants are closing across the country.
One of them is Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, the site of a partial meltdown in 1979. It’s due to shut by September 2019.
Kate Fisher reports from the nuclear power plant.
IN: "There are 4...
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:25
AIR: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-air.mp3
ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-arn.mp3
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-fm4.mp3
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-generic.mp3
ICRT: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-icrt.mp3
NIGERIA: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-von.mp3
938LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-938.mp3
RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-rnz.mp3
SRN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-srn.mp3
VATICAN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-vat.mp3
ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0714nuclearpkg-kf-ziz.mp3
***
There are 4 huge chimney stacks here at Three Mile Island but only two of them steam water vapour high into the sky. The other two have stood idle for nearly 40 years. After an accident stopped production.
Now owners Exelon say the remaining nuclear reactor will have to be retired too.
Union chairman NATHAN GROVE, is fighting to keep it open
“We’re competing against the subsidies that are given to other carbon free emitters like wind and solar and believe me I’m not anti-wind and solar, i’m truly all about diversity but when the playing field starts to get skewed and the government is starting to choose winners and losers, communities like here in Middletown are going to be the ultimate loser.”
VO: With cheap natural gas readily available and subsidies for renewable energy, nuclear power simply doesn’t pay any more.
But industry expert Samantha Gross from Brookings Institution says it will be hard to replace nuclear power plants once they close.
SAMANTHA GROSS, Brookings Institution
“Nuclear faces some real challenges. We’re seeing a couple of new nuclear plants which are under construction here in the US are really in jeopardy right now because the company that’s building them , westinghouse, has gone into bankruptcy. They underestimated the challenges and some of the financial risks in building those plants.“
VO: President Donald Trump does appears enthusiastic about the future of nuclear power - but he hasn’t been specific about what he plans for the industry.
U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
"We will begin to revive and expand our nuclear energy sector which I'm so happy about which produces clean renewable and emissions free energy. A complete review of U.S. nuclear energy policy will help us find new ways to revitalize this crucial energy resource "
VO: His words are encouraging to those whose livelihoods hang in the balance but time is running out.
President Trump has called for an energy revolution, celebrating American production on American soil, but people in this part of Pennsylvania have seen little evidence of that.
They're hoping Trump's enthusiasm translates into action soon.
Kate Fisher, Middletown, Pennsylvania
***ENDS***