Would a new nuclear reactor put pressure on Idaho farmers, ranchers, and other water right holders who are already struggling? Wouldn’t your reactor use a huge amount of water for cooling?
Farmers were among the first supporters of our energy plant, because they recognize the importance of affordable and reliable energy. Additionally, our biofuels plant would provide them with an important market for crops and farm waste that would otherwise have to be burned or buried. In fact, our goal is to use the spent water for irrigation for fields around the complex. More importantly, the Idaho Energy Complex won’t need nearly as much water as a conventional reactor. A conventional plant design would use perhaps 60 million gallons of water a day for cooling but our proposed reactor is a “dry” type that would consume just 100,000 GPD. To cool a car like a conventional plant, you would pour large amounts of water on the engine – effective, but wasteful in the arid West. The dry-type cooling system is analogous to a very large auto radiator, a closed system where coolant is circulated among fans and heat-sinks to dissipate heat. Finally, the proposed site for the IEC provides ample
Related Questions
- Would a new nuclear reactor put pressure on Idaho farmers, ranchers, and other water right holders who are already struggling? Wouldn’t your reactor use a huge amount of water for cooling?
- Can a solution be found that balances water needs of the ranchers, farmers, community members, and natural systems?
- What nuclear reactor will be used at the Idaho Energy Complex?
