Wait For The Rage

In 1973, construction began on a nuclear power plant in Shoreham on Long Island. It was completed in 1984 but it never opened and operated only for test purposes, never generating any commercial electricity. The original cost was estimated at between $65 and $75 million dollars. By the time it was finished the cost, now borne by the rate-payers of Long Island, was $6 billion. Decommissioning the plant cost an additional $186 million.

It was never allowed to operate because of protests over evacuation fears. Had it opened, it was estimated to have produced over 800 megawatts of electricity. In 2005, the Long Island Power Association erected two wind turbines, each producing 50 kilowatts of electricity, or 1/8000th of what the nuclear facility would have produced.

We are making such wonderful progress backward in this country. Pretty soon we may be washing our clothes again by beating them on rocks at the riverside. Meanwhile, the U.S. is planning on giving nuclear technology to the United Arab Emirates so that the oil rich nation can meet it's electricity needs. The very people who protest loudest about nuclear power and its dangers see no problem with Iran using it but will insist that the richest nation on Earth use windmills and solar panels. Something is wrong with this picture.

If you're waiting for the rage and protests to begin when Dubai begins construction on a nuclear power plant, don't hold your breath. My money says that Sean Penn, et al, will be there to cut the ribbon on the completed project.

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