Green, Even in the Dark

Nuclear industry lobbies for “green” credit

Nuclear-plant owners in the Northeastern U.S. are campaigning to be recognized as “green” energy sources. Following the success of a New Hampshire plant that last year received credits for not polluting the air, the nuclear industry is lobbying to be included in the Northeast’s nine-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative that may involve a clean-air credit trading system. Nuclear execs point out that their plants don’t emit greenhouse gases or contribute to acid rain. “We are the unsung hero for clean air,” said Brent Dorsey, director of corporate environmental programs for two nuclear plants. Enviros and other critics, of course, counter that nuclear facilities produce loads of radioactive waste, pose safety risks to communities, and could be targets for terrorist attacks. Regulators from many of the nine Northeastern states say it’s too early to determine which industries might be included in a credit-trading program, and some suggest credits should be reserved for struggling energy sources such as wind power.