HARTFORD — Connecticut’s goal of having new nuclear power generation by 2035 will be hampered by the costs of construction, the speed of emerging technology and the willingness of residents to support new facilities of any size in their hometowns. Whether it’s small modular reactors or new large-scale generators such as the Millstone nuclear power station in Waterford, the state must start looking at its energy future now, if more generation is to be available by the middle of the next decade, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes told state lawmakers last week. There’s $5 million in state grants for towns and cities to consider hosting small nuclear reactors that could generate up to 300 megawatts, keeping the lights on in up to 300,000 homes. Larger Millstone-size facilities that can generate 2 gigawatts of electricity, which can power 2 million houses, would require a major multistate regional commitment, Dykes said. “There is so much that has evolved and changed in the nuclear industry since the last time that Connecticut was in dialogue with communities about siting and hosting nuclear, which was decades ago,” Dykes told the legislative Energy and Technology Committee. DEEP has already held two of six planned informational workshops for the public to learn about new nuclear capacity in Connecticut. She stressed the need for municipal buy-in when considering the benefits of hosting a small modular reactor, including future tax benefits.
CT must act now if it wants new nuclear power by 2035, state official says
