PMC wrote:It is a puzzle to me why they don't use natural gas to generate the steam to turn the turbines
I've always been a fan of natural gas, both growing up in Greater Vancouver, and even more so living in Edmonton since 1975, often only a few miles from a working natural gas well. I can even still hear, in my head, the CHQM commercials for B.C. Hydro, "Cheaper Now than in 1956", referring to natural gas.
When "everyone" here was switching their vehicles to propane near the end of the last Oil Boom (circa 1981), I was holding out for natural gas. Safer, especially in parkades and other enclosed areas, because it is lighter than air, and rises, rather than settling like propane and becoming an explosive danger. Cheaper, too.
As for power generation, in 1975 when I arrived here, new Alberta power plants were all being planned for natural gas. But that was pretty much scrapped within the next few years, as natural gas prices rose rapidly with oil prices. And we got more coal-fired power plants, using newer less polluting technology, to go alongside our aging coal-fired plants. By then, a few hardy souls even switched home heating to coal, because it was cheaper than natural gas by a wide margin.
All of this made sense until about 10 years ago when it was no longer good enough to control pollution. Greenhouse gases suddenly became an enemy. Carbon Dioxide, mainly.
Both coal and natural gas generate a lot of Carbon Dioxide. Nuclear power plants eliminate that problem. Which is why they are suddenly "The Green Solution".
I'm not debating the importance of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Merely saying that they are "top of consciousness" for many people these days. In fact, the average man on the street would probably lump Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide pretty close together in terms of their "Badness" for the environment. Obviously, they have forgotten their high school Chemistry classes.
And that is the long answer to why Natural Gas is not being touted as the replacement for Nuclear Power.
One positive note in all of this. Edmonton's Mayor has just asked about the feasibility of switching the entire fleet of buses here to Natural Gas.