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APPENDIXES TO MARCH 5, 1991 HEARING

(Titles XII and XIII)

Appendix I-Responses to Additional Questions

POST-HEARING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

WILLIAM H. YOUNG

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

MARCH 5, 1991

(1)

Question 1.

QUESTION FROM SENATOR WALLOP

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

The Department of Energy estimates that a combination of increases in demand and retirement of existing electric generation capacity will require an additional 200,000 megawatts of capacity by the year 2010.

a.

Would you agree with Mr. Wolfe's statement that until
recently there has been considerable excess electrical
capacity in this country but this era is coming to an end?

Answer: Some regions of the U.S. had excess generating

capacity through the 1980's. However, during the

late 1980's, some regions notably New England

had limited capacity reserves and experienced occasional degradation in service because of

insufficient generating capacity.

b.

We expect regions that still have excess capacity

to need new capacity by the mid or late 1990's.
The era of excess capacity is coming to an end,
but there is substantial variance from region to
region.

Faced with today's environmental laws such as the Clean Air
Act, in your judgement, can this requirement for new
generation capacity be satisfied without a greater role for
nuclear power than is possible under present circumstances?

Answer:

Theoretically, the requirement for new generating

capacity could be satisfied without additional
nuclear capacity, even with passage of the Clean
Air Act. A combination of conservation, natural
gas, renewables, and innovative clean coal

technologies that emit low levels of sulfur

I dioxide and nitrous oxides could meet our Nation's

future electricity requirements and satisfy the

requirements of the Clean Air Act.

C.

However, without nuclear power as an option, we
would lose one of our cleanest generation
technologies and one which presently provides
about 20 percent of our electricity. Further,
growing concerns about global climate change may
make it particularly important for us to rely more
upon generation technologies which do not emit
greenhouse gases. Accordingly, a resource mix
that excludes nuclear power is unlikely to be the
most economic, reliable, or environmentally benign
means of meeting future electricity requirements.

In your judgement, can the third world meet its anticipated requirements for electricity without a large expansion of nuclear power?

Answer: The third world can and is expected to meet its

anticipated requirements for electricity without a
large expansion of nuclear power. Nuclear power
currently provides only 1.5 percent of the third
world's energy. The Department of Energy's

forecasts show that nuclear power's share is

expected to increase to only about 2.5 percent by

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