Updated: 10/06/2015 08:41:25 AM EDTThe future of Three Mile Island is uncertain
In York County, we have a love-hate relationship with Three Mile Island. Let's start with the downsides:after the nuclear plant failed to secure a contract to sell power to the regional grid in 2018-2019. (Jason Plotkin — Daily Record/Sunday News)
We hate TMI because 1979.
The partial meltdown remains the worst nuclear accident in United States history. The incident panicked our community and forever colored Americans' perceptions of our region.
We suffered the fear and worry over the possible long-term effects of the meltdown.
And we still worry every time the nuclear power plant is cited for a safety violation or an equipment malfunction — or a fire, as occurred at the plant this week. It's not the kind of history you want in your community.
We love TMI because jobs.
Emissions-free electricity.
Reliable power.
It's comforting to know the plant is there to provide energy during peak power consumption times — scorching summer days, Arctic blasts.
But the plant's future seems uncertain.
This summer, for the first time in its four-decade history, TMI failed to get a contract to sell a year's worth of electricity — from June 1, 2018 to May 31, 2019.
Without that contract, there is no guarantee that PJM Interconnection — operator of the regional power grid — will buy any of the plant's power.
TMI and other U.S. nuclear plants are facing intense competition from natural-gas-fired power plants. The price of gas is low — thanks, in part, to the fracking revolution that has been such an economic boon to Pennsylvania. The number of gas-fired plants has mushroomed.
What does that mean for TMI's future?
It's not yet clear. The plant's owner, Exelon, recently closed two nuke plants, and it said it might close two Illinois plants that also failed to get contracts. Company officials said they're evaluating TMI, and profitability is a key component of that analysis. But there are no immediate plans to shutter the plant.
It leaves our community with an interesting conundrum. As much of a worrisome thorn in our side the plant has been since the accident, it does provide significant benefits.
It's an important part of our region's economy, and it's a major source of emissions-free power.
It seems ironic that at a time when carbon-emissions-fueled climate change is threatening the globe, economics are threatening one of the most potent and cleanest sources of electricity.
Old King Coal still rules when it comes to power production in the U.S. It's the source of 39 percent of our electricity. It's a cheap but dirty source of power.
Natural gas is No. 2 at 27 percent, followed by nukes at 19 percent.
Natural gas is cleaner than coal, but it still contributes significantly to global warming.
Can we afford to lose functional nuclear power plants?
Granted, they present serious waste-disposal issues — as spent fuel rods pile up at plant sites, and no progress has been made on a national storage facility. A closure of TMI, Peach Bottom and other nuclear plants would likely be cheered by some activists.
But it would seem foolish to shut them down until renewable, clean sources of power such as hydro, wind and other forms can carry more of the load.
In the end, economics will likely dictate the future of TMI and other plants. But power companies and government policy makers must also consider the climate-change implications.
TMI, York County hates what happened in 1979. But it would also hate to see you go — too soon.
