Youngstown Daily Legal News

Lawmaker wants new type of nuclear power in Ohio

TIFFANY L. PARKS
Special to the Legal News
Published: February 7, 2014

In introducing House Concurrent Resolution 43 into the Ohio General Assembly, Rep. Terry Boose said he’s hoping the measure will ignite a genuine debate about the direction of the state’s energy future.

HCR 43, jointly sponsored by Boose, R-Norwalk, and Rep. Andrew Thompson, R-Marietta, seeks to establish a sustainable energy-abundance plan for Ohio to meet the future energy needs of the state with affordable, plentiful and environmentally-friendly energy.

“We introduced this resolution to bring much-needed attention to an often overlooked but critically important technology: energy produced from liquid fluoride thorium reactors (LFTR),” Boose said in recent sponsor testimony before the House Public Utilities committee.

“With global energy demand projected to increase by over 30 percent by 2040, there is agreement that both the U.S. and global economies must acquire additional energy sources in coming decades to provide for future economic growth.”

While Ohio is well-positioned with large reserves of fossil fuel resources and a developing renewable energy industry, Boose said unlocking new sources of energy is crucial to meeting future demand.

“LFTR technology, a type of nuclear power production which utilizes the element thorium in place of traditional uranium as its fuel source, could play a prominent role in meeting Ohio and America’s future energy needs,” he said, adding that LFTR technology could represent a scientific breakthrough in fulfilling future energy demands.

Boose noted that a primary concern of the general public regarding nuclear energy is safety.

“Following accidents at the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants, concerns understandably persist over the safety of traditional uranium-fueled nuclear power facilities,” he said.

“Thorium-fueled LFTR power plants would alleviate many of these fears. LFTR reactors utilize molten salts as a coolant mechanism instead of the traditional water coolants in traditional nuclear reactors.”

Boose said molten salts allow for a lower pressure nuclear core and described them as an “inherent safety improvement over traditional reactors.”

“Due to their unique design and coolant medium, it is virtually impossible for a LFTR reactor to experience a meltdown,” he said.

Along with their inherent safety, Boose said thorium-fueled reactors rely upon an abundant, readily available fuel source.

“Thorium is three to four times more abundant than uranium in nature and can even be recovered in burnt coal ash,” he said.

“The relative abundance of thorium will allow for thorium-generated energy to be cost effective. With plentiful reserves of thorium on hand and the fundamentals of thorium technology already established, the production costs for thorium generated power should be low.”

HCR 43 states that America possesses a nearly inexhaustible supply of thorium and uranium that “dramatically exceeds all known potential energy reserves including those of renewable energy.”

Boose said that any new energy source must be able to demonstrate its ecological sustainability.

“Like traditional nuclear-based energy, thorium leaves a minimal carbon footprint,” he said.

“Its potential for low carbon power generation is far beyond that of traditional renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Additionally, the waste products of LFTR reactors are far less abundant and are far shorter lived than traditional nuclear light water reactor waste.”

Under HCR 43, the state would be tasked to invest in the development of future technologies for greater energy resources.

“With this legislation we are looking to establish a cost-efficient, sustainable and environmentally-friendly energy plan for Ohio,” Thompson said, adding that over the past several months, he has had a series of meetings with the advocates of this energy source.

“I believe that it too can contribute mightily to helping our nation achieve its goal of energy independence. Concurrent with the amazing developments in the Utica Shale, it seems there is a lot that can go right if we make the proper choices and investments.”

The resolution states that it is “incumbent upon Ohio legislators to be forward thinking in addressing the future energy challenges for the next generation of Ohioans.”

Boose said the benefits of LFTR technology appear obvious, leading some to wonder why the technology is not broadly utilized today.

“To begin, LFTR technology is not just a theory; it has been in existence since the 1950’s,” he said.

“However, due to military considerations at the time (LFTRs cannot be used to produce weapons-grade plutonium and uranium), thorium technology was largely abandoned by the late 1960’s.”

While considerable public funds have been invested into other forms of energy development over the past 50 years, Boose said there has been little research and development of LFTR technology in that time.

“However, with global energy demand projected to rise, thorium appears poised to make a return to large scale power generation,” he said.

HCR is co-sponsored by a dozen House members. The bill has not been scheduled for additional hearings.

[Back]