Feasibility Study: Solar and Nuclear Energy,
Alternatives to Hydropower in Washington State
Name
Department of English, College
English COURSE NUMBER: Technical Writing
DATE
INTRODUCTION
From the Pacific to the Idaho border, Washington State has predominately relied on hydroelectricity for
decades. The overuse of hydroelectricity has shown declining salmon populations and hurt the health of
river systems. Politicians and public utility executives are questioning the use of hydropower for an
alternative as contracts also expire . Alternatives, such as nuclear or solar energy, are being considered
to provide for Washington State’s energy needs. In Washington State, nuclear energy has accounted for
8% of the state’s net power generation as the solar energy sector has recently seen the largest percent
growth in the United States to other renewable energy sources (Altintas et al., 2016, para. 7; EIA, 2016,
para. 5). The possible expansion of the nuclear or solar sectors need to be considered as well as the
economic, social, environmental, logistical, cultural and technological benefits and impacts. As many
more foreign countries are utilizing alternative energy sources, Washington State needs to examine the
opportunities of solar and nuclear energy as alternatives to hydroelectricity.
WHAT IS NUCLEAR ENERGY?
Nuclear energy utilizes the atomic fission of atoms or the splitting apart of atoms to generate a lot of
energy in the form of heat (U.S. Dept. of Energy, 2020, para. 2-4). Reactors use uranium for fuel which
is molded into sealed metal tubes called “fuel rods” (U.S. Dept. of Energy, para. 5). The fission reaction
between these rods, often numbering more than 200 rods, is described as a controlled nuclear reaction
(U.S. Dept. of Energy, para. 5). The heat produces steam or pressurized water—depending on the
reactor type—and is used to spin a turbine, generating electricity (U.S. Dept. of Energy, para. 5).
WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY?
Solar energy captures the energy of the sun to produce electricity. There are two types of solar power
production methods: photovoltaic and concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic energy production use
solar panels to produce electricity. Solar panels (or solar modules) are composed of a layer of silicon, a
metal frame, wiring and a glass casing to protect against the elements (Richardson, 2018, para. 4). The
rays of the sun excite silicon cells, which produce a DC (direct current) output, which is then converted
for grid use (Richardson, para. 4). The second type of solar power, concentrated solar, is another type of
solar source which utilizes focused rays of the sun to heat and boil water to produce steam, used to
generate electricity by a generator—similar to nuclear energy (U.S. Dept. of Energy, 2020, para. 10).
NUCLEAR USE IN WASHINGTON STATE
As nuclear accounts for 8% of Washington State’s electricity production, nuclear energy is an integral
energy source for the state (EIA, 2019, para. 5). There are five total nuclear power plants in Washington
State:
• Constructed in 1984, formally called WNP-2, the Columbia Generating Station is the
only and presently operational nuclear reactor in Washington and the Northwest (Energy
Northwest, 2020, para. 1). It can generate up to 1,207 megawatts or able to power
24,000 average U.S. homes continuously (Energy Northwest, 2020, Quick facts).
• WNP 1 and 4 plants (located in Benton County) are partially incomplete but restoration
is under way by Energy Northwest according to State of Washington Energy Facility
Site Evaluation Council (2019, para. 8).
• The Satsop Nuclear Power Plants or the WNP-3 and 5 plants are in Satsop County
(CLUI, n.d.). Plant number 5 was successfully constructed but was deactivated for use
as a business/technology park, as plant number 3 was left at 76% complete, according to
The Center for Land use Interpretation (n.d., para. 2).
The Hanford Nuclear Site, located in Burton County, was a critical part in Washington’s
relationship with nuclear technology. Although Hanford did not have any electrical producing
power plants, it but did produce plutonium used in bombings of Japan at the end of WWII (ATF,
2019, paras. 1 & 16).
SOLAR USE IN WASHINGTON STATE
Solar energy has seen the largest growth out of any energy source in the U.S. (Altintas et al., 2016,
para. 11). The Adam Neilson Voltaic Solar Farm in Ritzville, WA is Washington’s only solar farm
capable of producing 28 megawatts of DC or direct current (EIA, 2016, para. 13; Swinerton Renewable
Energy, 2020). The company which built Adams Neilson, Swinertone Renewable, claims that it can
power 2,660 Washington homes yearly (Swinerton Renewable Energy, para. 1).
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
Energy Northwest (2020) claims that Columbia Generating Station (Washington’s only operable
nuclear power plant) has been generating billions of dollars of electricity with virtually no greenhouse
gases or carbon emissions (para. 7). Washington State and the U.S. government has been troubled by
the responsibility of disposing of nuclear waste produced with the use of nuclear technology. Nuclear
waste contains radioactive elements which takes thousands of years to decompose. Leaks into local
ground water for example at the Hanford Nuclear Site is one of U.S’s biggest environmental concerns
presently. U.S. governments and business firms are working to resolve the nuclear waste issue.
•
Bechtel, an American large-scale engineering and construction company, is constructing a
unique and first of its kind waste treatment complex at Hanford to deal with the waste
according to Bechtel’s website (Bechtel Corporate, 2020, para. 1). The plant is designed to
stabilize the liquid to a solid glass-like material, a process called vitrification.
•
Also, the Nuclear Energy Institute (2020) speaks about the present procedure for high-level
nuclear waste on their website to prevent leakage: the spent fuel pellets are held in a
zirconium cladding, sealed in a stainless steel cylinder, filled with inert helium gas and
entombed in a concrete and steel container and left to safely decay (para. 6 & Video).
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS OF SOLAR ENERGY
Although no carbon emissions are produced during operation, solar modules contain hazardous
materials which could harm the environment and workers. According to Union of Concerned Scientists
(2013), solar modules contain hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrogen fluoride, 1,1,1trichloroethane acetone; and heavy metals such as; gallium arsenide, copper-indium-gallium-diselenide
and cadmium-telluride (paras. 11-12). The effects of these compounds are well known and could harm
the surrounding environment if the modules are handled incorrectly.
CAPACITY CONSIDERATIONS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
Nuclear, like fossil and hydropower, can be turned on at a moment’s notice. The necessity to have
consistent power is essential to prevent power outages where essential buildings—such as hospitals—
really on it. Without the harmful effects on the environment if handled correctly, nuclear offers the
ability to expand its capacity with construction of new plants to provide power. Nuclear power also has
the advantage of producing second to second power control which is necessary to provide stability for
the grid, managed by the Bonneville Power Administration or BPA (Northwest Energy, 2020, para. 5).
CAPACITY CONSIERATIONS OF SOLAR ENERGY
Solar energy is more liberal in land use. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, photovoltaic
systems use approximately 3.5-10 acres per megawatt. According to strata, a policy research
organization, the Arkansas Nuclear One Station in Arkansas produces 1,800 megawatts, requiring only
1,000 acres (Stevens, L., 2017, pg. 7). Stata claims that a solar power plant would require more than
13,300 acres to produce the same amount of power as the Arkansas Nuclear One Station (Stevens, L.,
pg. 7). The benefit of photovoltaic can be seen by its utility to be placed on roofs for power generation.
A downside is that solar does not produce electricity at night. Recently, companies such as Tesla Motor
Company are trying to solve this issue by developing battery technologies to store power for overnight
use (Leahey et al., 2019, para. 14).
CULTURAL EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
Native American tribes signed treaties to give up their lands early on, where Washington State treaties
often guaranteed hunting and fishing rights according to Jrank.org (Native American Rights, 2020,
para. 2). The dams used for power generation prevented fish spawning and thus nullified the rights of
Native American peoples. Court cases ensued. Tribes fighting for fishing rights (Native American
Rights, paras. 3-8). The U.S. Supreme Court Case Washington v. Washington State Commercial
Passenger Fishing Vessel upheld the decision that Native Americans are entitled up to 50% of the fish
guaranteed which settled the piling numerous court cases (Jrank, 2020, para. 7; WA v. Fishing Vessel,
1965).
Presently, it is known that fisheries are put in place to support the salmon populations which
costs which costs millions of dollars every year (Wild Salmon, 2019, para. 1). Nuclear energy
could end the need to artificially inflate the low salmon populations and return the rivers to its
natural state.
CULTURAL EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
Solar energy has little or unknown cultural effects.
SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
One of the largest obstacles blocking the wide spread of nuclear energy in Washington State is the
aversion to it. It is not ambiguous; the public does not trust nuclear energy. Chernobyl, Fukushima and
in the United States, Three Mile Island, are nuclear disasters in recent history which the public
remembers.
Media plays on the public aversion or even fear of radioactive or nuclear subjects. The Hulk,
from Marvel Comics, receives his power from an inoculation of gamma radiation and
mystically receives great strength. The Truman Show, a 1998 movie, stars Jim Carry who is
trapped in a pseudo world. To prevent him from escaping, the overseers of his world fake a
nuclear meltdown to keep him from escaping. Media, from time to time, caches on the fear and
mysteriousness of nuclear energy and radiation, not helping the cause for nuclear energy as a
possible energy source.
SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
Solar energy has little to no cultural distain. Some companies such as Lego, publicize their ecoconscious conversions to solar power such as their production plant conversion in Jiaxing, China
(Lego, 2016).
CONCLUSION
Both, solar and nuclear, provide clean energy as they produce little to no carbon emissions. We have
been utilizing nuclear energy in Washington State for decades. Solar energy is a rapidly growing energy
sector. Both are relatively safe to the environment if handled correctly. Nuclear energy provides cheap
and consistent energy as solar lacks the consistency needed to be a reliable energy source for a growing
state. Although both provide a strong alternative to hydroelectricity, nuclear energy is more reliable,
more efficient with land and consistent and thus, a clear choice for Washington State.
References
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