tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post6495413814040360712..comments2023-04-07T05:19:44.951-04:00Comments on Yes Vermont Yankee: The Broken Window Fallacy, the Hurricane, and Decomissioning Nuclear PlantsMeredith Angwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02737538041807740424noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post-72597205018323988642011-09-06T09:13:10.047-04:002011-09-06T09:13:10.047-04:00You last comment is the salient point. Shumlin is...You last comment is the salient point. Shumlin is breaking the window and maybe spending a few pennies to sweep up the glass, but isn't putting in a new window.<br /><br />There is the quality of job issue as well. Sweeping up the broken glass is basically janitorial work, whereas putting in a new window likely requires a bit higher level of job skill.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post-46093371383801151542011-09-05T13:37:26.451-04:002011-09-05T13:37:26.451-04:00jeff.
You are correct. I thought about "ul...jeff.<br /><br />You are correct. I thought about "ultimate replacement" when I wrote this. As a matter of fact, I had a whole little section about replacing VY with Small Modular Reactors in 2032. Then I took the section out, for fear of muddying the story too much. <br /><br />Basically, Vermont Yankee CAN keep operating for another 20 years: it has its NRC license. The baker's window could be replaced with a better window, but the existing window would be okay for quite a while if nobody throws a brick through it. <br /><br />Eventually, things wear out. Eventually, things get replaced. Still, there is no reason to destroy useful objects (windows, power plants) while they are still useful. Vermont has no plans for a replacement plant, so they are simply breaking the window. As if we don't have enough problems in this state right now.Meredith Angwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02737538041807740424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post-79499147006741245132011-09-05T12:15:38.772-04:002011-09-05T12:15:38.772-04:00Meredith, You're right about this being anothe...Meredith, You're right about this being another case of the broken window fallacy, but I think the bigger picture problem is that Vermont has no plans to replace the plant. Everything must be replaced eventually.<br /><br />They are trying to get rid of the plant with no plan for replacement. Shumlin might support renewables. Fine. Where is the plan based upon rock solid commitments to build enough generation, storage, and transmission by 2012 to replace Vermont Yankee when they wantt to shut it down?<br /><br />What kind of planner gets rid of a power plant with no actual, real plan to replace it. Giving vague assertions that renewable power hypothetically can replace the nuclear plant is a world different than actually bulding replacement capacity, which they are NOT getting done.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post-16717557439779995862011-09-05T09:41:54.522-04:002011-09-05T09:41:54.522-04:00Art, thank you!
Also:
I wrote this last night...Art, thank you! <br /><br /><br />Also: <br /><br />I wrote this last night, and scheduled it to go up this morning. I wanted to leave a full day for the Carnival post to be the top post.<br /><br />Alas, when I looked at this post this morning, the video didn't appear. I have fixed that.Meredith Angwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02737538041807740424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3033288879708780106.post-7134102978960526392011-09-05T09:27:18.824-04:002011-09-05T09:27:18.824-04:00The original broken window fallacy is from Frederi...The original broken window fallacy is from Frederic Bastiat, a French essayist and economist, who wrote in 1850. His original essay is at http://www.econlib.org/library/Bastiat/basEss1.html and the portion about broken windows is at section 1.6.Art Woolfnoreply@blogger.com