Nuclear power is still an option at Comanche 3. These Pueblo activists want to change that
Xcel Energy's Comanche 3 power plant in Pueblo is slated to ditch coal by 2031, but what will replace the fossil fuel as the site's energy source remains to be seen.
One of the the power generation options being considered by Xcel and the Pueblo Innovative Energy Solutions Advisory Committee (PIESAC) is nuclear energy. However, Nuclear-Free Pueblo, a coalition of local environmental activists that formed two years ago when the idea was first broached by Pueblo County commissioners, continues to fight against nuclear as a replacement.
The coalition believes a nuclear plant would pose a health risk to Pueblo County residents and siphon funds away from the county's transition to renewable energy. Its members spent Saturday canvassing local neighborhoods before holding a rally outside the Pueblo County Courthouse during its "Day of Action."
"As far as what can go wrong, it ranges from minor issues that can cause us to just be without power for a while to anything up to and including a meltdown situation like Chernobyl, Fukushima, or so many of these other nuclear reactors we have heard about melting down," said Jamie Valdez, organizer for Mothers Out Front. "If we have a situation like that, Pueblo and surrounding areas could be rendered unlivable for generations to come."
Radioactive waste and water usage among coalition's concerns
In a "toolkit" distributed to community members in both English and Spanish, Nuclear-Free Pueblo lists its reasons for opposing nuclear energy in Pueblo.
Among them: the thousands of years that high-level nuclear waste remains reactive; the lack of a permanent disposal facility for high-level waste in the United States; and the average small modular reactor's daily water use of 160 million to 390 million gallons.
The toolkit also sites a 2012 International Journal of Cancer study that indicated increased incidences of childhood cancer near nuclear plants.
What is Nuclear-Free Pueblo?
Nuclear energy was discussed as a possible replacement for the coal-fired Comanche 3 power plant at a "town hall" meeting in July 2021 where Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar and former Pueblo County Commissioner Chris Wiseman were among those attending.
"These are different types of power plants. They’ve taken new technologies, they’ve addressed the issues with water use, they’ve addressed a lot of the safety issues. I think now is the time to look at it,” Wiseman told the Chieftain at that time.
Following the town hall event, Nuclear-Free Pueblo was formed to oppose bringing a nuclear power plant to Pueblo County.
In January 2022, Wiseman created an "Energy Board" that included community, environmental and political representatives exploring various replacements the Comanche 3, including nuclear. The following month, however, Wiseman said community backlash against nuclear had led county government to retreat from its initial support for nuclear energy.
But the prospect of nuclear energy in Pueblo isn't dead quite yet.
Nuclear among options being evaluated by Xcel, energy committee
Potential replacements for Comanche 3's existing coal units are being evaluated by PIESAC — an advisory committee consisting of 11 local leaders co-chaired by financial advisor Corrine Koehler and attorney Frances Koncilja.
Wiseman, Jerry Bellah, Sara Blackhurst, Russell DeSalvo, Patty Erjavec, Dennis Maes, Timothy Mottet, Duane Nava and Jeff Shaw also serve on the committee, which partners with four Xcel Energy staff representatives.
PIESAC and Xcel Energy will submit a proposed replacement to be approved by the Colorado Public Utilities transition. Nuclear is included among the forms of energy generation options being evaluated by PIESAC, according to the committee's reference materials. Other options include solar, wind, geothermal, and burning hydrogen as primary fuel.
The advisory committee's meetings and reference materials are publicly available at co.my.xcelenergy.com/customersupport/s/projects/pueblo-energy-study.
Community members also may submit feedback by emailing PuebloEnergyStudy@xcelenergy.com or by calling 877-292-5918.
Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo activists continue fight against nuclear power at Comanche 3
