Duke’s Oconee Nuclear gets a mention in Washington hearing

South Carolina’s 3rd District representative in the U-S House, Jeff Duncan, told a Washington hearing that the electric grid instability in Texas is evidence that nuclear power plays a critical role in the quest for clean energy and reducing carbon emissions. “Nuclear energy provides a carbon-free, 24-7 baseload power supply,” Duncan said in comments to a subcommittee of House Energy and Commerce.  And Duncan, the Laurens Republican, praised Duke Energy’s investment in the nuclear field, saying the utility company is a leader in the nuclear industry.  He called attention to Duke’s Oconee plant which is one of the largest in the country. Earlier this month the NRC announced approval of Duke request to increase by about 1.6% the reactor capacity of all three Oconee reactors.  Its staff concluded that Duke can safely increase the heat output of Units 1,2, and 3, primarily through more accurate means of measuring feed water flow. Rep. Duncan added these remarks at the hearing:  “The Oconee nuclear plant produces more than 2,500 megawatts of carbon-free, reliable energy and has a land use of just 2 square miles.  While I fully support renewable energy sources, it’s important to understand their drawbacks.  For instance, if Duke Energy’s Oconee Nuclear Station was replaced with solar power, it would require 107 square miles of land to make that a reality – which is nearly four times the size of the City of Greenville.  To replace with wind power, it would require over 854 square miles of land – which is larger than Anderson County.”