Alaska village seeks permit for miniature nuclear power plant

With Galena tucked into the western part of Alaska, diesel oil that powers the electrical plant must be towed 350 miles by barge. Customers pay 30 cents per kilowatt hour, compared to a national average of 8.71 cents, so they cook with propane, turn off lights and limit television time.

In need of relief, the community of 700 people is thinking of turning to nuclear power. But Galena’s plant would be far different from other U.S. commercial nuclear power plants — at 10 megawatts, it would be downright tiny.

Galena began considering nuclear power after determining that wind and solar power were impractical and that coal was too costly. After discussions with Toshiba, city officials concluded nuclear power would be the cleanest and least expensive alternative, lowering costs to 10 cents per kilowatt hour.

The actual reactor would be about 7 feet tall and 30 inches in diameter and would be near the bottom of a concrete tube about 60 feet below the ground.

The reactor’s fuel, which has not been specified, would stay encapsulated for 30 years, unlike fuel at a conventional reactor that is routinely replenished.
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