Reality Check Time

Environmentalists want to shut down Indian Point nuclear power plant. Okay, that's fine. There are questions about the safety of the plant from terrorists and what to do with the spent fuel. Those are legitimate questions.

But so is what will actually provide electricity to the entire region if the plant is shut down.

In neighboring Rockland County, a local power supplier is facing a crisis of its own, and residents may be faced with higher costs because local power plants may be shut down within two years:

The Mirant Corporation which owns the two major electric generating stations is in bankruptcy and the power plants are too old to meet present day standards. Mirant plans to shut down the Lovett Generating Station in Stony Point in 2007.

Mirant's other power plant - Bowline in Haverstraw - has been shut down for unspecified problems.

Those same environmentalists who complain about Indian Point and want to have alternative sources of power have absolutely no answer for how to provide current levels of power with the technology currently available. The region, and indeed the entire nation, is facing an energy crunch and environmentalists are seeking to further limit the choices for supplying the power that the country and region needs to sustain economic growth and development.

Electricity demand continues to increase, and environmental groups are limiting the choices available to policy makers for what power sources can be used.

Tidal power? Well, that could harm sealife so that's nixed.
Wind power? Unsightly and it would harm birds.
Nuclear power? Where's the waste going? How safe are the plants from terror attacks?
Hydroelectric? Harms fish spawning grounds, destroys local ecology
Coal, gas? Smog? COx and other pollutants cause global warming.

Oh, and all plants suffer from NIMBY. Nobody wants them in their backyards, but they have to go somewhere.

Not many choices left, but something has to be done to provide the power that we rely on.