Interview with Pennsylvania PUC chairman Susan M. Shanaman

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Electr. Light Power; (United States)

OSTI ID:6613289

Utroska, D

Chairman Shanaman notes that Pennsylvania law justifies the Public Utility Commission (PUC) refusal to charge ratepayers for the cost of Three Mile Island units 1 and 2, neither of which are providing service, because ratepayers are already paying the costs of replacement power. The PUC chairman points to other service territories around the country where rates are kept below national averages because the average income level is low. The Metropolitan Edison Company is seeking Federal relief as well as legislative permission to put TMI-1 back into the rate base in fairness to ratepayers, but the PUC does not see bankruptcy for the utility as an appropriate way to force Federal assistance. The Administration needs to understand the local impact of Federal policies, especially those which are incompatible with state situations. Appropriate involvement includes nuclear waste research and underwriting some of the cleanup costs of onsite accidents that are too large for a single utility to handle. Chairman Shanaman feels that ratepayers should contribute to the insurance premium for future accidents, but not retroactively to support TMI-2. Nuclear power plant construction in the US will not progress until the issues of TMI-2 are resolved. (DCK)

• OSTI ID: 6613289
• Journal Information: Electr. Light Power; (United States), Journal Name: Electr. Light Power; (United States) Vol. 59:3; ISSN ELLPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220901 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety-- Accident Liability
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
ACCIDENTS
ECONOMIC IMPACT
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
FINANCING
POWER REACTORS
PUBLIC UTILITIES
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RATE STRUCTURE
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTORS
REGULATIONS
THERMAL REACTORS
THREE MILE ISLAND-2 REACTOR
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS