FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 20, 2003
For more information contact:
Lisa Rainwater van Suntum (646) 281-4426
Kyle Rabin (845) 424-4149 x 239
ENTERGY’S RESPONSE TO BLACKOUT 2003 LEAVES PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING IN THE
DARK
BLACKOUT SHEDS LIGHT ON JUST HOW UNSAFE, UNSECURED, AND UN-VITAL INDIAN
POINT TRULY IS
Coalition calls on Entergy, the owner/operator of the Indian Point Nuclear
Power Facility, to Tell the Truth: Lack of Supply Did Not Cause Blackout 2003
WHITE PLAINS (August 20, 2003) If it were up to Entergy, the public would
believe that the largest blackout in US history justifies the need for Indian
Point. The Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition (IPSEC) wants to set the record
straight: Indian Point is not safe, secure, or vital.
As has been reported by news agencies across the globe, the latest power
outage was not caused by a lack of power supply but rather due to antiquated
transmission lines. Entergy’s claims are countered by the Independent Power
Producers of New York, of which it is a member. According to Fred Lebrun’s
column in the Albany Times Union (8.17.03): “Gavin Donohue, president of the
state's Independent Power Producers, says that there was plenty of electricity
on hand Thursday, and more available if needed. The failure was not on the
supply side.”
Entergy’s recent comments in the New York Times and elsewhere are an
opportunistic attempt to convince nearly 21 million residents living within 50
miles of their two nuclear reactors that they are “vital” to the region.
According to Jim Steets, spokesman for Entergy, "New York City and
Westchester need power generated closer to home and need the plants like
Indian Point that currently are providing electricity.”
IPSEC Project Coordinator, Lisa Rainwater van Suntum, PhD, commented,
“Entergy’s PR folks need to be telling the truth not spewing falsehoods to
confuse the public. To ensure reliability New York City is required to
generate 80% of its peak demand within its five boroughs. Therefore Indian
Point, during much of the year, plays a limited role. In addition, even with
Indian Point offline during and after the blackout, the region was well
prepared for the first full workday, August 18th. In order for a company to be
“vital” to a region, it must provide something that we can’t live
without – and Indian Point is something we can live without.”
There was a significant reserve available during this crisis, and, in fact,
there still would be a comfortable reserve margin if Indian Point were closed.
According to the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), NYC peak demand
for summer 2003-4 is estimated at 11,000 megawatts (MW); removing IP’s 2000
MWs from the equation, 13,100 MWs are available to New York City—a 2100 MW
reserve margin.
According to Ken Klapp, spokesman for the NYISO, the statewide peak load for
August 18th - the amount of electricity needed at the time of highest demand -
would reach 25,000 MWs. This demand falls well below the New York State’s
maximum available 37,000 MWs of in-state generation capacity as reported in
the NYISO’s May 2003 Power Alert III New York’s Energy Future.
One of the main reasons for the lack of a second blackout was due to a
diligent energy conservation response by New Yorkers once power was restored.
Governor Pataki praised New Yorkers, estimating that “conservation reduced
demand by 2500 MWs, the equivalent of three nuclear power plants.” Indian
Point produces 2000 MWs.
IPSEC calls on the Governor to immediately and actively implement a more
comprehensive energy efficiency plan for the State, which would increase our
energy efficiency and conservation not only during a crisis but also will
further reduce the stress on the system, helping to avoid the possibility of
another blackout, and serve to strengthen the economy and diminish
environmental impacts. This would allow a more consistent reduction in demand
for electricity and can be achieved in a manner that does not impose on
people’s lifestyles. (Energy efficiency means improvement in practices and
products that reduce the energy necessary to provide energy services like
lighting.)
Indian Point is not safe or secure. During a blackout, a loss of off-site
power compromises the plants’ ability to provide the proper cooling of the
nuclear fuel in the reactor core and the control room equipment. With a lack
of power from the grid, Indian Point depended on emergency diesel generators
to provide the needed power to control the temperatures of the reactor cores,
the control rooms, and the irradiated fuel pools. In the event that the onsite
back-up power fails, the nuclear fuel could dangerously overheat and lead to a
catastrophic release of radiation. In the past 12 months, emergency generators
at other plants have either malfunctioned or failed to operate 15 times, often
leading to a plant shutdown.
“What would have happened if the emergency generators at Indian Point had
failed? The plants’ history is checkered with malfunctions and unplanned
outages. IP3 continues to remain off-line due yet again to mechanical
problems—the fifth unplanned outage for IP3 in the past year. Entergy is
playing roulette with our lives,” continued Rainwater van Suntum.
Terrorism experts have called Blackout 2003 a “wakeup call” for the
securing of the nation’s power supply. With a lack of off-site power at
Indian Point, a simultaneous terrorist attack on the onsite power generators -
which could ultimately trigger a catastrophic release of radiation - could
lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths and injuries as well as billions of
dollars in loss of property.
“New Yorkers have learned valuable lessons from the Blackout. We are strong
and courageous. We endure in times of crisis. And most importantly, Indian
Point is not safe, secure, or vital,” concluded Rainwater van Suntum.
Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition (IPSEC). IPSEC is a coalition of sixty
civic, environmental, health and public policy organizations that formed in
response to a flood of citizen concerns about the safety of Indian Point
nuclear power plants after the terrorist attacks on 9.11.01. Our goal is to
ensure the safety and security of our neighborhoods by bringing about the
immediate closure of Indian Point and its safe and orderly decommissioning.
For a list of member organizations, please go to: www.IPSECinfo.org
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