Nuclear in SWVA big topic at Energy Education Series

BIG STONE GAP, Va. (WJHL) — The Virginia Department of Energy hosted its Second Energy Education Series meeting on Thursday, where they presented energy projects and programs.

One big topic was the discussion about the question of whether a small modular nuclear site will be coming to Southwest Virginia.

This comes a day after Governor Glenn Youngkin said other areas outside of Southwest Virginia have shown more interest in SMR sites.

“Right now, there is no parcel of land that has been deemed for insight into a nuclear reactor at this particular moment in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Glenn Davis, Director of the Virginia Department of Energy said.

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Davis said the next steps would be for a private company or utility to come forward with a location of interest.

“It would be a private company or a utility that would go and say, this is an ideal spot,” Davis said. “Let’s look at this and get it looked at by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and see if we can get it certified and licensed.”

The largest portion of the series was a Q&A session on nuclear where many asked questions relating to environmental concerns, costs and safety.

Sharon Fisher, president of the Clinch Coalition that organized the Southwest Virginia Nuclear Watch, said many of the points made about safety don’t support the research.

“SMR’s don’t even exist yet and they’re telling us they won’t be for ten years,” Fisher said. “However, the federal government does show that there are thousands of employees and other individuals who are exposed to radiation every year.”

Fisher believes radioactive waste will be an environmental concern and that the Southwest Virginia land is not suitable for nuclear.

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“The whole idea of putting it on abandoned mine sites, that’s reclaimed land, that’s usually unstable land,” Fisher said. “So even our topography that we have here, we think is not suitable for any of these facilities, smart data centers or whatever.”

Davis said there are multiple specific factors, that SMR’s have to meet before being deployed.

“You would never see a small modular reactor anywhere, until there’s significant engagement with the citizens,” Davis said. “The locality would have their own process they would have to go through with siting. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, from the feds, would get involved to look at it.”

Fisher believes solar and wind are better energy alternatives for Southwest Virginia than nuclear.

“We feel that solar would be by far the better choice,” Fisher said. “We even have our school systems here who are putting solar on the roofs of the schools. “

The Southwest Virginia Nuclear Watch group will provide a formal response to the meeting.

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