Green Jersey

Nuclear Jersey

Above: The PSE&G Nuclear Complex (Hope Creek and Salem plants).

It’s official: New Jersey is considering building a new nuclear power plant, the country’s first since 1973.

The revelation is part of the draft of the 2008 energy master plan, which was unveiled today (click here to read it). Sure, the report lost a little of its cachet when it was leaked to the Star-Ledger three weeks ago, but this is only the beginning — it will be discussed at public hearings, and the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission would have final say over a new nuclear facility.

The report lists these goals: maximize energy conservation and efficiency, reduce peak electricity demand, use renewable sources to meet 22.5% of the state’s energy needs, “develop new low carbon emitting, efficient power plants to close the gap between the supply and demand of electricity” (ahem, nuclear) and invest in clean energy technologies and businesses. (Among many other things, the report also recommends weighing at least 1,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2020.)

A new nuclear facility would likely be “quite a few years away” and in Salem County, according to Ralph Izzo, CEO of PSE&G. Earlier this week, Izzo said “I am convinced we can fit in an additional [nuclear] unit” at the Hope Creek nuclear power complex, the Bergen Record is reporting.