Assemblyman Scott Gray held a “Advanced Nuclear 101” community meeting
ALEXANDRIA BAY, New York (WWNY) — With the possibility of building a new nuclear power plant in the North Country, local leaders have questions.
Questions they asked during Assemblyman Scott Gray’s “Advanced Nuclear 101” seminar Wednesday night. Organizations like the New York Power Authority, Nuclear New York, and Clarkson University discussed everything nuclear power, from how it works to how it benefits a community like the North Country.
One question from the audience was about a nuclear plant incident years prior.
“It seems like about 5 years ago, the state of New York bailed out a nuclear power plant. I thought at the time, basically, I just paid tax dollars to all the people working at that plant to keep it going, and basically, it ended up being a public bailout. So, I guess I need to hear somebody tell me how that isn’t going to happen again,” said one community member.
“I think what we’re seeing with some of the data centers, and folks that want clean power, is that they’re willing to come up to the table and make things profitable for the utilities,” said Michelle Zietlow-Miller, GAIN public engagement manager.
“I think there are different business models that can be applied here, but I agree with you. The government- maybe could be like a crutch on certain occasions for a number of years, but it can not be the answer,” said Carl Perez, Chief Executive Officer for Exodys Energy.
One audience member questioned how much water would be required for a new plant, and how close it would need to be to a body of water to sustain it.
“We have technology like air-cooled condensers that we developed to be able to avoid having to use a body of water or being near a body of water for power,” said Carl Perez.
As for how much water would be required, a nuclear engineer in attendance says you could make one in a desert if need be, and folks shouldn’t be concerned about contamination.
Another question was about the likelihood that the plant, if it came to this area, would be used to power the North Country or if it would be used to power downstate, given that a zero-emission plant would help downstate lower its carbon emissions.
“Do they want to add non-carbon sources down there? That’s a good question. But the bigger question may be, can we operate the grid with very little generation to New York City, and that’s an open question. There are a lot of people working on that. Do we have the capability to do that? That’s a work in progress, but I think that would happen,” said Thomas Ortmeyer.
Where the state will decide to build the plant is likely far from being decided soon. However, after the seminar, several local leaders voiced their hope that it will be built.
Copyright 2025 WWNY. All rights reserved.