RICHLAND, Wash. — Whether nuclear power has a place in Northwest
energy production along with renewable energy resources depended
on who Ira Flatow was asking Monday night. The host of National
Public Radio's Science Friday was in Richland to lead a panel
discussion about the future of energy. Hundreds turned out to
hear the discussion in a program sponsored by NPR with the
support of the Richland School District, the Richland Library
Foundation and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. "I hope if
I do my job well, over time we won't need nuclear," said Rachel
Shimshak, executive director of the nonprofit Renewable
Northwest Project. Renewable energy has suffered from market
barriers, but nuclear energy has not proved cheap, either, she
said. "I respectfully, but vigorously, disagree," said Donald
Wall, director of the Nuclear Radiation Center, which operates a
research reactor at Washington State University. The average
cost of nuclear production is equal to the wind production
credit and has dropped below