I just read from another blog that three states that are not currently associated with nuclear energy have jumped on the bandwagon. According to The Energy Collective, the states of Missouri, Iowa, and Indiana have recently been making some political moves that may pave the way for nuclear reactors (Iowa does currently have one reactor). From passing new laws that make funding a lot easier to come by for Missouri and Indeana and as for Iowa the possibility of miniature reactors.
One of the big topics recently has been on states that are passing legislation to allow utility companies to add a small fee to energy bills in order to pay for nuclear reactors to be constructed. I could see this making a lot of people angry...our energy bills are high enough already right? Well lawmakers are looking at the data...a recent poll suggested that more than 70% of the USA population support nuclear energy. I guess they figure if we all want it...we won't mind paying for it. If you think about it in the end it will make energy bills lower in the future..if not for you at least for your children. So I say "yay" to this!
I'm my opinion the companies should not be able to add this fee to our bill. If they are building reactors they should get the money like any other corporation: by selling stock/bonds or by getting loans. Like you mentioned energy costs enough already!
ReplyDeleteMaaaybe. But it depends on how much it is. For example, some policy analysts recommend we have a small carbon tax added to our bills, but it would be on the order of $1 a month, and the money would be used to promote the creation of clean energy. $1/mo. is not a terribly tough sell, and we do stuff like this all the time (take taxes from cigarettes and build schools, for example). It does require some political will, and people are angry about the economy, like Carlos suggests. But it may take something like this to move forward.
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