Siting nuclear power plants in California: the near-term alternatives

There are many issues presently being debated concerning the generation and utilization of electric power in California. Some are peculiar to a specific area, such as the level of air quality and how it is influenced by fossil-fuel power plants. Others are of general applicability, such as high-level waste disposal from nuclear reactors, which is of global concern. It is the purpose of this study to investigate one particular aspect of the power problem. This is the question of the relative desirability of locating nuclear power plants at sites along the California coastline or at inland locations. In this introductory section, the basic problem will be outlined, including expected growth in electrical usage, and the nature of the controversy, which lies in the allocation of limited resources. In subsequent sections, the environmental impacts of coastal and inland plant siting will be discussed in general, without reference to specific locations. Conflicting demands for limited resources (namely, the coastline area and cooling water supply) will also be explored and evaluated. Finally, with the aid of this generalized information, a comparison will be made of the siting alternatives.