Perception is reality: SCE trying to improve public opinion of SONGS
June 30, 2015 | By
Jaclyn Brandt
Southern California Edison (SCE) has faced numerous issues with the closure of their San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), but now that it is closed, they are looking to create a positive perception of the plant. To do this, the utility has begun offering tours of the shuttered nuclear plant.
Those tours bring people through the 84-acre plant to educate them about the process of generating electricity with nuclear power and storing the used nuclear fuel safely on site. Residents near SONGS, as well as numerous environmental organizations, had protested the plant, before and during the announcement to decommission the last two units. The tour is an effort by the utility to open dialogue into the closure of the plant and remind citizens of the history in in the area. "The tours, and our related public education efforts, enhance public understanding of decommissioning," SCE spokesperson Maureen Brown told FierceEnergy. "Our tour participants talk openly about encouraging their neighbors to attend as well. Their questions tend to start with why we shut down San Onofre in June 2013 and include issues such as how we have replaced the 2,200 megawatts of power San Onofre once generated." Brown said the tours have, so far, been well-received by the public, and they estimate more than 500 people have participated this year. "These tours are an important part of Southern California Edison's commitment to safety, stewardship and engagement as the guiding principles to decommission San Onofre," Brown added. SCE also has established a Community Engagement Panel made up of 18 local elected officials, citizens, and environmentalists to advise them on decommissioning. The panel talks about decommissioning issues -- including long-term storage of used nuclear fuel. SONGS began its operation more than 40 years ago, and now offers two tours a month. SCE began the 20-year decommissioning process last fall -- and the last two units to be retired produced 2,200 MW of electricity up until 2013. The utility has been working nonstop to move forward with decommissioning -- while also fostering public perception. "We have completed a lot of preparation and regulatory filings since we announced the permanent retirement of San Onofre two years ago," Brown told FierceEnergy. "As a result of our ongoing engagement with stakeholders, including critics, we have found that all parties are aligned on at least one important issue -- safely managing San Onofre's used nuclear fuel until the DOE removes it from site and expediting efforts to move the fuel off site." For more: © 2015 FierceMarkets, a division of Questex, LLC. All rights reserved. |