In today’s New York Times, President Gerald Ford’s energy adviser, in an article entitled “How to Win the Energy War,” tries to use higher gas prices and oil dependence as an excuse to build more nuclear reactors:
The other major way to wean us from oil is to resume construction of nuclear power plants. Nuclear energy is the cleanest and best option for America’s electric power supply, yet it has been stalled by decades of unproductive debate. Our current commercial nuclear power plants have an outstanding record of safety and security, and new designs will only raise performance. How can Washington help? One thing would be federal legislation to streamline the licensing of new plants and the approval of sites for them.
His first way to wean us from oil is to gradually increase gas taxes. Ford’s original energy independence plan might make you wince, as it included 150 new coal-fired plants and 200 nuclear power plants.
Not a word about global warming or peak oil, by the way. Not that mentioning those would help: Prime Minister Tony Blair tried to use global warming as a cover for more nukes, a trick that even Margaret Thatcher used as well.
