Nuclear Power

The verdict is in and I vote nay on expanding the South Texas Project (STP). City Public Service Energy (CPS) is going to do a lot more than make grantees to the public, once the final costs are exposed. Costs that will come from the tax payer's pocket aka us, the public. CPS's own customers will really understand the massive amounts if they go through with the nuclear power plant expansion. CPS's customer bills will increase 5% every other year until 2016 where it will be at a 3.7% increase until the year 2018 where it will be at a .07% increase. These percentages were presented by a CPS Energy executive using a slide show to pitch the nuclear power effort. These increases in the customer's bills will eventually add up. CPS Energy estimates $13 billion will be needed to complete the entire project. $206 million has already been spent on planning and permitting alone. Later this October, the city council is expected to vote for an additional $400 million which will enable CPS to stay in the project. What I don't agree on is why should we decide to spend so much money on or towards this project if no one is for sure that its going to solve our energy problems. I haven't hear or read anywhere that CPS energy along with NRG energy investigated other alternatives such as wind, solar or natural gas. Neither one of these listed has been ruled out. So there is no telling what else might meet San Antonio's energy needs of the future. Another reason why I think the people of San Antonio should oppose nuclear power is because the companies are not believable. CPS estimates $13 billion will be the cost of the expansion and NRG estimates the project will cost $10 billion. So who do we believe?Finding funds for this project will be tremendously difficult. CPS's own deputy manager, Steve Bartley says that money could run out by this year or early next year. Eventually, this would mean CPS Energy may come forward this spring and ask the city council for more money. Mayor Julian Castro thinks a 40% ownership is too risky for the city and also thinks lesser ownership would be better for the city. Overall, financing will be very expensive and the project will be difficult to fund. Therefore, I oppose the South Texas Project and I vote NO on the expansion. Money does not grow on trees.
There are many questions that have yet to be answered, questions that should not have to be asked. City Public Service should tell everything there is to be told about the whole expansion so that everyone could be aware of all that is going on, and not have to ask or do the research themselves. The people of San Antonio want to see facts, estimates, and proof that the expansion is worth the time and money spent towards this project. People like me want to know who is going to be constructing the nuclear power plant and are they a trustworthy fair company to conduct business with. I want to know their past employers what their past building jobs were and were they done within budget and on time. I also want to know how CPS and NRG plan to get rid of the nuclear waste that can harm the environment and the people around it. Also, if they have a plan on getting rid of the waste, does it actually work? Has it been done before? These are some of the questions that should be asked and answered.