No new nukes
On Oct. 29, the Board of Trustees of CPS Energy, San Antonio’s municipally owned electric and gas utility, voted to invest in a massive new nuclear power plant in southeast Texas.
Environment Texas opposes the construction of new nuclear plants because nuclear power is expensive and dangerous. Nuclear power is not a solution to limited supplies of fossil fuels, nor is it a solution to global warming. Shifting from a dangerous addiction to fossil fuels to dependence on nuclear power is irresponsible at best, especially when compared to the far-superior alternatives of energy efficiency and renewable energy.
The nuclear industry’s shoddy safety record and insufficient response to the growing threat of terrorism suggest that new nuclear power plants—or the continued operation of aging plants—could cause more devastating social and environmental
problems than they solve. There is still no sound solution to the problem of radioactive waste created by nuclear reactors. Because most plants use massive amounts of water and require dangerous uranium mining, their impact on public health and the surrounding environment would be disastrous.
Environment Texas will now work to convince Austin Energy not to join with CPS in investing in the plant.
