By Tom Clements
Friends of the Earth, Columbia

Get into a mind warp and come with me down the nuclear rabbit hole on this mad ride…

On Jan. 29, after dealing with legislation allowing alligator hunting, the members of the South Carolina House Agriculture Committee got down to the business at hand of defining nuclear power as renewable energy. While there was some discussion, much of it quite confused and simply the espousal of pro-nuke positions, the bill passed by a vote of 12-5.

Now, the definition of “renewable energy resources” in South Carolina includes “nuclear energy” and the bill moves to the full House. The bill is likely to come up as early as Tuesday, Feb. 5, where it is very likely to pass and be sent to Gov. Sanford for his signature.

While it may strike you as ridiculous or impossible that this is happening, recall that many of these legislators are hard-core “conservatives” who could give a rat’s ass about reason, logic, science, public opinion, or being fiscally conservative. They might well affirm some southern stereotypes that come to mind. They are acting simply to serve the nuclear industry (Duke Energy), which has as many lobbyists down at the legislature as there are alligators down in the swamp, or road-kill possum on a country road.

Here’s the key language of the bill:

“For purposes of this chapter, ‘renewable energy resources’ means solar photovoltaic energy, solar thermal energy, wind power, hydroelectric, geothermal energy, tidal energy, recycling, hydrogen fuel derived from renewable resources, biomass energy, nuclear energy, and landfill gas.”

One thoughtful legislator commented that you could be driving down the road and see two horses in a field and say that one of them was a mule. While you could call one of the horses a mule that doesn’t change reality and make it a mule. But, hey, in South Carolina why not try to define reality as one wants it to be, or better, as Duke Energy wants it to be…? The leadership of President Bush has been a sterling example of this, after all.

Despite questions from representatives, there was no explanation as to why this legislation is being rammed through and no response as to what effect it might have on the budding renewables industry in the state. The nuclear language was added by floor amendment when the bill passed the Senate last year. (The rumor is that Duke Energy got the amendment offered and that it could be some crazy and perhaps useless form of pay-back for the environmental victory in the legislature last year in getting the Barnwell nuclear dumped closed to non-compact states on June 30, 2008.)

And let’s not forget that reprocessing (GNEP) came up with some praise. Another great idea that some in South Carolina are anticipating with open arms. Ooopps, there goes yet another spent fuel shipment to be dumped at the Savannah River Site. (I think that scheme would be a real fight here, though.)

Even the U.S. Department of Energy doesn’t include nukes in their definition of renewable – from the Energy Information Agency glossary: “Renewable energy resources: Energy resources that are naturally replenishing but flow-limited. They are virtually inexhaustible in duration but limited in the amount of energy that is available per unit of time. Renewable energy resources include: biomass, hydro, geothermal, solar, wind, ocean thermal, wave action, and tidal action.”

I don’t believe any other state has defined nukes as renewable, not even Texas. (Right?) Laugh if you will, but at least South Carolina will now be the first in the nation at something.

Stay tuned for what happens next week though I don’t think it will be pretty.