Press Mention Times Free Press August 28, 2020
SACE Quoted
Powerful differences: Alexander touts TVA's atomic advantage over California
In this mention
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander argues that TVA's nuclear-heavy generation portfolio provides more reliable and affordable power than California's renewable-dependent system, which experienced rolling blackouts during a recent heat wave. Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, counters that the comparison oversimplifies the issue and emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to decarbonization beyond nuclear power alone. The article examines TVA's continued nuclear investments, including small modular reactor development, against the backdrop of declining nuclear construction nationally.
It's far more complicated than the simple cheap shot Sen. Alexander likes to take at wind and solar. The unprecedented heat waves we're seeing in California in recent years does show how global warming is a growing threat and why we need to take more action to reduce carbon emissions. We need a balanced approach, and nuclear energy, which has had all kinds of its own problems, can't be the total answer.
Stephen A. Smith
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