Nuclear Power Advocates Say Nuclear Superior To Renewable Energy
Callaway Nuclear Power Plant Fulton, Missouri
The nuclear power industry is, in it’s effort to revive the building of new reactors, closing it’s eyes to the actual facts with regard to cost and safety. Their opinion is that nuclear power must be included if we are to change our climate. They see a nuclear renaissance as the number of applications for construction and operating permits rises. This information comes from the nuclear regulatory commission, they have not seen this type of activity in over 30 years.
The Department of Energy keeps a ongoing count of nuclear licensing applications. The DOE is predicting 23 licenses for 34 reactors. The industry hopes this will continue in 2009 in order to shore up their hopes in an effort to build new reactors.
The same climate change legislation that the renewable energy sector wants to see, the nuclear industry is counting on that very same legislation to get the country to back their efforts. Nuclear is cleaner than fossil fuel, however it has been shown in several studies that any gain in cleaner emissions are offset by the dangerous process that is nuclear power. The nuclear industry has started to release real prices instead of the low estimates that had been their stock in trade. Now you see prices have doubled to well over 5 billion dollars per reactor which is double estimates from early 2008. The DOE loan guarantee program would be new hope for these people.
It would be hope misplaced. Nuclear power is not the way to go at this juncture. High construction costs and complicated licensing procedures make this option economically not feasible. There is no solution to this, we should use renewable energy sources to power our society. The nuclear option should not be an option. We need to view this option with extreme caution. We don’t have a solution for the energy woes that we are experiencing now that could be solved by the nuclear power industry. This industry touts itself as the new way to avoid CO2 emissions, although they have their share of this global warming causing element. There is a movement among the utilities that operate nuclear power plants to grab a share of funds that would be better spent investing in clean renewable energy.
We have a new administration taking office this month and they will be deluged with requests for funding for various reasons. The nuclear power industry not withstanding will make their demands for funds known and they will use the arguments that they have used for decades, clean power. How about clean, safe power. The industry said that waste storage is improving due to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s reaction to the license application for Yucca Mountain. The NRC did proceed with the docketing process and evaluations on items such as environmental requirements. The general thinking is that geologic storage is necessary for nuclear energy’s future. That does not solve any problems with regard to what is stored. This is a problem currently and will continue to be a problem. Some see the waste as valuable material and would like to recycle the material.
There are plans to build nuclear power stations in several states. We as people with a desire to power our planet safely should protest this direction that these utilities are taking to provide electricity. As we have stated here in the past clean and safe renewable energy is the way to go. Any thoughts on this? Let’s hear from you in our comment section. In the meantime work for renewable energy sources, new jobs, help for our failing economy and a clean environment are ours’ for the future.
Tags: electricity, fossil fuel, global warming, nuclear, plutonium, power, renewable energy