Many Baldwin EMC members have expressed an interest in renewable and carbon-free sources of electricity to serve their power needs. Our energy supplier, PowerSouth, uses some renewables like hydroelectricity, solar and methane gas to generate electricity, while still using tried-and-true sources, including coal and natural gas.
Soon, they’ll be adding a carbon-free source to produce the energy you use: nuclear energy.
Beginning in late 2021, PowerSouth will purchase 125 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy generated at the Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant in Georgia. The nuclear addition will provide our members with a hedge against ever-changing fuel prices, without the cost of building and maintaining a plant of our own.
While renewable sources are attractive, they remain dependent on the weather. They stop producing when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. Adding zero-emission nuclear energy to traditional generating sources, as well as solar, will ensure a reliable flow of electricity.
America’s nuclear power plants produce more than 55% of the nation’s zero-emission electricity — without burning anything. They use uranium, a naturally occurring element, as fuel. The atoms in the fuel are split to generate heat, which produces steam. The steam pressure turns a turbine connected to a generator that spins to produce electricity. A half-inch uranium nuclear pellet creates as much energy as 149 gallons of oil, 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas and one ton of coal ore.
Nuclear power plants also use less space than other renewable sources. For example, a 1,000-MW nuclear power plant uses less than 1% of the area a wind farm uses to produce the same amount of power.
Nuclear energy is proven, innovative and safe. Our nation’s nuclear energy plants adhere to stringent safety regulations to protect the facilities, public health and the environment.
Reliable nuclear energy will power our communities for the future. It will provide the next generation of service, providing affordable electricity for years to come.