90 Degree River Shuts Tennessee Nuclear Plants for Second Summer In A Row

http://cleantechnica.com/2011/08/09/90-degree-river-shuts-tennessee-nuclear-plant-for-second-time/

90 Degree River Shuts Tennessee Nuclear Plant for Second Time
August 9, 2011

As oblivious as the proverbial frogs in slowly boiling water, we are beginning to experience the seemingly benign first years of catastrophic climate change. With the temperature in the Tennessee River approaching that of a nice warm hot tub, for a second summer in a row, three Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear power plants had to shut down this week.

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Because hot rivers are not good for fish, by law nuclear plants must not heat rivers above 86.9 degrees with their discharged water.

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Last year’s shutdown cost the company $50 million in replacement power, a cost it passed along to its customers. To forestall the same problem reoccurring in future years, TVA invested $80 million in a seventh cooling tower at Browns Ferry, which began construction last October.

The additional tower would have been ready to prevent another summer heat shutdown by now, but construction has also been impacted by this year’s extreme weather.

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Together with last years losses, that’s another $140 million added to our cost of living in a warming world. According to Climate Science Watch, even by mid-June, the US had already suffered a total of $32 billion in economic damages due to global warming.