On Friday, April 6, U.S. Representative Keith Rothfus (PA-12) visited Beaver Valley. The purpose of his stop was primarily to gather information on the status of the  plant, FENOC and the nuclear industry in general.

A contingent of personnel, including FENOC Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Paul Harden, gathered in an onsite classroom to discuss the importance of nuclear energy in the U.S. generation mix.

Paul noted the environmental benefits inherent to nuclear generation: “Pennsylvania’s nuclear plants produce more than 93 percent of the state’s carbon-free power.” He explained that over its entire life-cycle, nuclear energy’s carbon footprint is comparable to renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

Highlighting the impact to the local economy, Tim Steed, director, Site Performance Improvement, shared some numbers. “This site, with approximately 1,000 employees, spends anywhere from $70 to $140 million annually on contracted services,” Tim said, “almost all of it is local or confined to Pennsylvania. And we pay $4 million annually in state and local taxes. These are real,tangible and significant figures.”

Rothfus noted that he is concerned with the possible deactivation of so many nuclear facilities. “This is not just an energy discussion. This is, in many respects, a national security issue,” he said.