Hochul ratchets up NY’s nuclear plans, aims to lead U.S. in building new reactors

 Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to pursue perhaps the most ambitious development of nuclear power in America, setting a new goal to build five gigawatts of new nuclear capacity instead of just the one gigawatt she announced last June.

That’s more nuclear power than has been built in the United States in the past 30 years.

Hochul will announce the plans Tuesday in her State of the State speech, her office told syracuse.com. If her vision succeeds, New York’s nuclear capacity would increase from 3.4 gigawatts today to 8.4 GW.

“Gov. Hochul will ensure that New York State leads in the race to harness safe and reliable advanced nuclear energy to power homes and businesses with zero-emissions electricity for generations to come,’’ her office said in an email.

The governor also will announce plans for training and education programs to develop a skilled work force for the plants.

Building 5 gigawatts would be the equivalent of building five new traditional reactors. The four nuclear plants New York has now range in capacity from 1.3 gigawatts to 0.6 GW (600 megawatts). But state officials have expressed interest in newer designs, still under development, that would yield smaller reactors.

 

For the past year Hochul has championed nuclear power as essential to help meet future electricity demand that is expected to rise sharply. Last June, she ordered the state power authority to develop at least one gigawatt of new nuclear power.

 

Now Hochul will direct the state Public Service Commission to map out plans for another four gigawatts. One gigawatt of nuclear power -- roughly the capacity of a single large reactor -- is enough to supply nearly 1 million average New York households.

The PSC will launch an initiative to “consider, review and facilitate a cost-effective pathway to 4 gigawatts of new nuclear energy,’’ the governor’s office said. They did not provide details.

New York’s recently released state energy plan anticipates the addition of two-to-three gigawatts of new nuclear power by 2040 but does not describe the path to development. Now Hochul is doubling the quantity and making development a priority for state regulators.

“Advanced nuclear power is a key part of my all-of-the-above energy plan,’’ Hochul said in a prepared statement. “Our initiative to create a nuclear reliability backbone for New York will ensure safe, around-the-clock, emission-free power to help keep the lights on and rates down.”

Interest in nuclear energy is surging across the nation as energy planners look for ways to satisfy sharply rising demand without producing more greenhouse gas emissions. But the technology faces big challenges.

 

Cost, for one. Nuclear plants are notoriously expensive to build. And while there are dozens of companies working to develop new, cheaper models, none is ready for commercial primetime.

The last two nuclear plants built in the United States, Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4 in Georgia, cost roughly $35 billion combined, more than twice the initial budget of $14 billion. The 1.1-gigawatt units came online in 2023 and 2024, seven years later than planned. Georgia ratepayers were hit with significant bill increases to help pay for them.

It’s not clear how the Public Service Commission will ensure that nuclear power contributes to Hochul’s frequent promises to make energy more affordable.

New York’s existing nuclear plants need subsidies to compete with natural gas plants. The four existing reactors – three in Oswego County and one in Wayne County – have received more than $500 million a year in ratepayer subsidies since 2017 in addition to what they earn selling their power. State regulators are considering a proposal to extend those payments, which are due to expire in 2029, for another 20 years.

 

The governor’s nuclear aspirations are bound to be met with shock from some environmental advocates and other critics who argue that investing in nuclear energy drains vast resources that would be better spent on renewable technology. Anti-nuclear advocates also warn that there still is no permanent plan for dealing with spent nuclear fuel, which remains dangerously radioactive for thousands of years.

But support for nuclear power appears to be growing.

In a poll last year by the Pew Research Center, about six in 10 Americans said they favored building more nuclear plants to generate electricity, up from about 43% in 2020. A Siena Research Institute poll in August showed about half of New Yorkers supported Hochul’s plan for new nuclear power, with 26% opposed.

Hochul is calling her new initiative the “Nuclear Reliability Backbone.” She stresses that nuclear power is “always on.’’

The Upstate nuclear plants typically produce more than 90% of their full generating capacity over the course of a year, according to data reported by owner Constellation Energy Corp.

Hochul says nuclear power can provide a reliable base of energy while renewable sources like wind and solar add to the mix with intermittent generation. Nuclear plants also can help diminish the role of natural gas plants, which contribute to carbon emissions. [Gas plants will be needed indefinitely. Gas power plants are highly reliable and dispatchable – and very efficient. They respond promptly to human command. They will be a critical backup long term for nuclear and hydro. Wind and solar by contrast are completely ill-suited to provide a backup role. Wind and solar cannot perform either as baseload or backup. Will we nevertheless insist on finding some non-sensical way for them to stay in NY’s power generation mix? ]

“This effort will provide firm, clean power that complements renewable energy resources and reduces reliance on fossil fuel generation,’’ Hochul’s office said. “By creating a stable foundation of always-on energy, the Backbone will allow renewable resources to operate more efficiently and flexibly.’’ [This is to assure wind and solar fans that their governor is still a devoted supporter of wind and solar. But the reality is that with adequate nuclear power not too many years from now, there will be no emissions based or reliability based reason to make room for the fickle output of wind and solar.]

New York’s grid manager, the New York Independent System Operator, predicts that demand for electricity will grow 50% to 90% over the next two decades. NYISO officials have urged the state to start building new generation at a much faster pace than it has.

 

It’s not clear how quickly New York would be able to add nuclear capacity. Regulatory approvals alone typically take years.

In addition to meeting energy needs, Hochul said her nuclear program will create jobs. In her speech Tuesday, the governor will announce a workforce development program called NextGen Nuclear New York.  [On the jobs front, nuclear is far more helpful than wind or solar. How many cars do you see in the parking area of a wind or solar farm? Usually none.]

She envisions working with educational institutions ranging from K–12 schools to higher education and worker training programs to align curricula with nuclear industry jobs.

“By investing in its people, New York will ensure its nuclear future is powered by New Yorkers, for New Yorkers,” Hochul said.

 

Staff writer Tim Knauss can be reached at: email|Twitter| 315-470-3023.

Tim Knauss

 

Tim Knauss is a watchdog reporter on the public affairs team at Syracuse.com, with four decades of experience covering Central New York. Knauss has written about a variety of subjects recently including unfair property taxes, failed government projects, high energy costs, and the effects of racial discrimination on health. He has won many statewide awards, including twice being named the New York State Associated Press Journalist of the Year. He earned a master’s degree in 1990 from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in 1977 from Oberlin College. Contact Knauss at tknauss@syracuse.com or 315-470-3023.

Hochul ratchets up NY’s nuclear plans, aims to lead U.S. in building new reactors - syracuse.com