Palin reveals who to blame for Gulf oil spill

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Now, as to your point regarding nuclear power, I am sympathetic, but have some reservations. If we can't regulate oil wells sufficiently, how can we be sure that we wouldn't drop the ball on regulation of hundreds-to-thousands of new nuclear plants?

Two issues here. One, nuclear power and electrical generation in general is a bit of dodge and shell game. The amount of oil used for electricity is a pittance. Addressing electircal generation does very little to our oil appetite. At least half of US oil conusmption goes towards transportation of people goods and services. Electricity plays no meaningful role in that equation. Until some alternative energy source becomes the mainstay for tranpsortation we are very much tied to the use of fossil fuels (diesel and gasoline).

Regarding nuclear (a subject I am particularly familiar with given my occupation), the regulations are not the issue. The regulatory landscape of the nuclear industry is as stringent as they come and regularly is updated and revised via the NRC. That is not the issue. The larger issue is the dearth of qualified individuals in both craft and professional ranks. The last US contruction of nuclear power plants was in the mid 80's. Since that time the industry has not meaningfull hired new professionals. The current ranks of grey beards at the utilities that have design, construction, systems and operational experience thins every year with retirements and workforce attrition. Bring a number of new plants on line, the situation gets much worse with respect to qualified talent pool to build and operate these plants that have the slightest clue what the regulations are or how to comply.

As to the number of plant required, currently the US has ~104 operating facilites. (It should be noted that all are intended to go off line as they hit 40 year licensing limit. The bigger issue is that these same aged designs and aged plants will either go offline or go up for licence renewal extending plant life out to 60 or 80 years) The advent of new reactor designs that have been given pre-approval by the NRC is a net positive but are not significantly higher in electrical power generation. With 104 opeating facilities the power genreration is approximately 20% of US demand. Realistically to effecively provide adequate base load we aren't talking thousands of nuclear power polants. Probably more along the lines of 40-100.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

My only criticism is she limits the blame to a select group of people when it seems obvious a large majority believe in nimby and this is why oil companies end up drilling in out of the way places

ANWAR is not a nimby situation. By and large the residents of Alaska want ANWAR drilling (if only for the profit share they get as a consequence of their state laws).

[Guynemer]

Thanks for the info, Ogie.

Having seen what can go wrong, I'm always a bit nervous about nuclear power, but intellectually I know it is the best overall option currently. I trust the power; I don't necessarily trust the people in charge of building/maintaining/regulating it.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

And for good reason. The industry needs to be revitalized soon or all the real expertise will be gone.

[azzaman333]

pallin is a smurt womon