Massena Town and Village Boards pass resolutions supporting nuclear power in Massena
MASSENA — Representatives from both the town and village boards of Massena say they are in favor of bringing a nuclear power plant to Massena, a move that could bring hundreds of high paying jobs and cheaper energy to the North Country.
Village Mayor Greg Paquin and Town Supervisor Sue Bellor, who both recently attended Assemblyman Scott Gray’s Nuclear 101 forum at the Bonnie Castle Resort, said the possibility is a win-win for the area.
Gray hosted the event, which featured nearly a dozen presenters, shortly after Governor Kathy Hochul gave the go ahead to place a nuclear facility in northern New York.
Hochul said the move would create an abundance of “clean, zero-emission energy” as the state looks to enhance the power grid at a time when policy makers continue to push for full electrification in homes and for businesses.
Gray previously told North Country This Week the forum was intended to function as a way to educate the public about the benefits of nuclear power and to dispel concerns about the safety and efficacy of such facilities.
“These facilities are very different now compared to what we saw years ago and the precautions taken ensure everyone’s safety,” Gray said.
During the forum, many subject matter experts touched on the safety aspects of the modern facilities, with some noting the overall size of the facility and designs have changed drastically in the last few decades.
Gone at the smoke stacks seen in Oswego, replaced instead by modern buildings that look like offices of major corporations.
“These buildings are completely different now. They, quite honestly, look like an office building for a bank or hospital. They don’t take up as much room as the older plants and they don’t have smoke stacks or anything like that,” Paquin said during the board’s July 15 meeting.
He said he hoped the board would be able to host members who presented at the forum to “better educate the public” about the benefits of nuclear energy.
“(Deputy Mayor) Chad (Simpson) and I went to the forum and honestly, it was very informative. We both learned a lot,” Paquin said.
Paquin said his first major concern was the amount of water used in the energy creation and cooling processes, saying he felt a nuclear facility would not be viable, even with water sources in Massena.
“Just the sheer amount of water used to cool them, I figured there was no way this would work. But we learned that some facilities have internal cooling systems that don’t even use water, so it’s more than possible,” Paquin said.
North Country This Week also attended the forum, which featured Nuclear New York representative Keith Shue.
Shue spoke on the reliability and clean energy created by nuclear facilities.
The non-partisan advocacy group has promoted nuclear energy “as a cornerstone of New York’s decarbonized, reliable power future,” while supporting both the preservation of existing nuclear facilities, as well as the deployment of next-generation technologies.
“When compared to other energy producers, nuclear is actually one of the cleanest and has one of the lowest carbon emissions,” he said.
Shue also detailed the amount of nuclear waste from plants, dispelling rumors of excessive waste.
“The amount of material we’re talking about is roughly the size of a gummy bear, if that even. So, when people talk about the amount of waste, just know that all of the nuclear plants in the U.S. have created enough waste to fill one single WalMart, essentially. Meanwhile, facilities using other fuel types do that every day,” Shue said.
Bellor and Deputy Town Supervisor Pat Facteau, both of whom attended the forum as well, said the prospect of bringing nuclear energy to Massena could be the shot in the arm the town needs.
Just prior to passing a resolution supporting the measure, Bellor said the forum was an eye opener for her and Facteau.
“It is something worth exploring and this is the first step in the process. Passing a resolution and sending a letter expressing our interest in being a host community is required,” Bellor said.
Town officials, much like their counterparts in the village, said they hope to further educate the public, with Facteau suggesting bringing speakers from the forum to Massena.
“The more information we have the better. I think it’s essential we bring folks here to answer any questions we or the public may have,” Facteau told North Country This Week.
No timetable has been established to make a decision, with Gray saying the state was in the very beginning stages of the project.
New York Power Authority officials said the initial discussions did not include specific locations, with the Authority seeking feedback from potential host communities before moving to the next phase.
Hochul directed the Power Authority to oversee the project, according to a release last month.
Andrew Boulais, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager of NYPA, said the Power Authority is keen to bring the project online as part of larger plans to expand and diversify the power grid in New York.
A Clarkson University graduate. Boulais said he was well aware of the capabilities of the North Country.
He praised the workers that could bring the project to life and said the resources available to bring a nuclear facility online.
Though many have speculated Oswego, Fort Drum and Massena are the three locations in the running, Boulais said no decisions have been made at this time.
“We aren’t ruling anything out. We’re still in the very early stages and more than anything want to gauge the interest of potential host communities before we start moving into the planning stages,” he said.
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