“In a recent filing, Xcel Energy has told the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission that it would like to do an economic study about the possibility of shutting down the nuclear facility in Red Wing prior to its official 2034 expiration date.”
Brian would that area survive without the revenue from the plant? Do you think this is a courtesy announcement for the region that time is short, start saving, the cash cow is going cold soon?
Could be.
If you are specifically talking about Everts Resort, I’ll say the resort has been there since aprox 1935 or about 40 years prior to the power plant being built. It’s more the amount and flow of the river through the dam that keeps the area open. Of course the power plant helps.
Everts will be fine.
The Native Americans (more so if the spent energy casks are moved)
City of Red Wing and surrounding area (taxes)
Employment
Will be effected much more.
I’m sure the report will go into much finer detail then what I’m guessing at here.
You don’t just hit the “off” switch and lock the door on your way out of a nuclear power plant. There would be many, many years where employment would be increased as the plant was decommissioned.
My wife has a relative who managed a phase of the decommissioning of a nuclear plant overseas and my firm has bid on work as a subcontractor on a decommissioned US nuclear plant out west. Both of these efforts will easily take 20 years each to complete. One of the reasons the lifespans of these plants keeps getting extended in so many cases is the fact that shutting them down is so incredibly costly.
Grouse
they can moth ball it for a long time before they have to do anything,but i think its more of a nice way to get the state to help fund them to keep them going and keep employing people and keep red wing and surrounding areas alive.
I think (by reading Xcels reasoning) Gregory is on the right track. Otherwise they wouldn’t have extended the licensing in 2011.
The wind power is just a feel good energy source mandated by our government.
Fukushima was late 2011 and they would have been years into re-upping their permit by then anyways. Regulations have changed greatly since then. You are right though the steam generators power the heaters and the brakes on wind farms when the weather is not optimal.
Doesn’t Lacrosse have a moth balled site they are preparing to do some work on again to get into their 50 year idle?
I’m surprised they dont build more.
They would if Big Gov held up their end of the bargain and had a place to store all the nuclear waste. Many facilities have shutdown due to that fact alone.
They would if Big Gov held up their end of the bargain and had a place to store all the nuclear waste. Many facilities have shutdown due to that fact alone.
Oh Jez…now you got me going!
There’s been BILLIONs of $$ collected to pay for storage by everyone that is served by ANY nuclear plant. Billions.
But yet we have 30+ dry storage casks sitting out in the open right here along the Mississippi River. Paying millions to the people that live right next to them. (I don’t care if they’re native Americans or pink elephants).
I’m not going to go into the politics here but this is so wrong…and the NRC approved the licensing of Prairie Island another 20 years. (doah!)
For you that are interested in what your grand children will have to face.
Yep. My dad worked for Dairyland Power for many years and recently retired, so I hear a bit from time to time. 
So sick of PLAYING POLITICS with people’s lives.
They would if Big Gov held up their end of the bargain and had a place to store all the nuclear waste. Many facilities have shutdown due to that fact alone.
We can thank Jimmy Carter and his executive order of not being able to recycle Nuclear material. France recycles all there Nuclear material and only ending up storing around 5% of the material. So if the cronies up in Washington really wanted to do something they could remove this executive order and storage would not be the huge issue it is now.
I’m surprised they dont build more.
My Dad, who at one point in time was very, very high up the xcel energy food chain still comments to this day that it is a mistake we have not built a few more based on today’s technology.
Today (and yesterday’s) technology.
looks to me like a great example of political rhetoric and propaganda……
don’t believe everything you see online, there is another side to the story….
Since it’s been about 30 years since there was to be waste storage, there’s time to hear it.
What’s the other side? Everyone wants it gone but not through my back yard?
your back yard? i thought that was a different type of waste coming from Afton?
^ Well played!! 
sometimes its just too easy! i sure do miss living next to the river in Afton….
maybe ill see you at Everts on Friday or Saturday?
I’ll be there in the evenings for the rest of the week. If you see the red ford swing in.
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