INL advisor corrects letter statements

Dear editor:

I am writing to correct the Jan. 21, 2009, letter to the editor by Diana Hooley.

For the record, Idaho National Laboratory has no advisory or other role with the Alternative Energy Holdings, Inc., nuclear power plant proposal. Neither I nor INL has expressed any public opinion about the AEHI project.

However, as the nation's lead nuclear energy laboratory, INL experts, including myself, believe that nuclear energy has an important role to play in helping the nation meet its demands for electricity while reducing its carbon dioxide emissions.

In recent public presentations, I have discussed the various issues that will affect how nuclear power could provide electricity in Idaho. I attempt to illustrate both the pros and cons related to nuclear power, including current electricity supplies, water usage and costs. A presentation I gave at the Idaho Environmental Forum in November 2008 can be found at http:///nuclear.inl.gov/papers.shtml.

I have not criticized the AEHI proposal. In conversations with Ms. Hooley, I have offered that I am not able to explain:

(1) the very low water usage stated by the project,

(2) the size of the ethanol/methanol chemical operations that it could support, or

(3) the amount of water usage that the chemical operations would themselves require.

At the Idaho Energy, Environment and Technology Interim Committee meeting in August 2007, I stated that the coupling of a nuclear plant with chemical operations would be a first, and may introduce some uncertainty in the time needed to license the plant. These are questions that are readily apparent to anyone familiar with biofuels production or the licensing of nuclear power plants; but ultimately, these issues will need to be resolved by the sponsors and regulators.

Also, please note that I am not the chief engineer at INL. I am the director of regional and international partnerships.

Thank you for the opportunity to correct the record.

Ralph Bennett