Atomic Show #354 – Doreen Harris, President and CEO NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority)

New York has a long and storied nuclear energy history. It is the home of the oldest operating commercial reactor, Nine Mile Point plus three other units that collectively produce more than 20% of its electricity. Those four units operate with an average capacity factor that is even higher than the already high U.S. nuclear fleet average. New York residents like those nuclear plants enough that they supported their representatives when they implemented one of the nation’s first subsidy programs designed to ensure that nuclear plants did not get shutdown as a result of temporary economic conditions. The Zero Emission Credit (ZEC) has successfully provided cost effective support for New York’s upstate nuclear plants for more than a decade. But it is also a state that abandoned a completed nuclear plant without ever operating it (Shoreham) and politically forced the closure of a two unit nuclear plant that cleanly and safely provided about a quarter of the electricity used in New York City. Due to that history, many people in the pronuclear world were surprised when Governor Kathy Hochul announced a strong pronuclear position accompanied by real action to enable the expanded use of nuclear technology. Doreen Harris, the President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) visited the Atomic Show to discuss New York’s pivot toward full blown support of new nuclear power. She cited many of the often-discussed benefits of welcoming nuclear development, including enabling large quantities of clean electricity, improving electricity grid performance and reliability, developing good paying career level jobs, supporting local communities and providing a steady stream of tax revenues for many different levels of government. We talked about the specific steps being undertaken to prepare for new nuclear development. Some of the steps discussed include forming committees – with representatives from multiple agencies and stakeholders – and producing reports, but we also talked about more concrete efforts that will contribute to constructive progress. A major component of the effort is to develop partnership and cooperative relations with other entities that have shared interests. Examples include the recently announced partnership with the Canadian providence of Ontario and New York’s position as a co-chair of the Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative under the leadership of the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO). I’m sure you will enjoy the show. You might find certain segments to be especially valuable.