Nuclear Power Projects

Nuclear Power Projects

Is Developing More Nuclear the Right Thing to Do?

by Don Ames

Couple things are at work here – need for more power, Obama politics, oil saturated gulf, you know, things like that. Seems a 2005 law offering incentives and federally guaranteed loans for nuclear energy companies has new nuclear power plants in the planning stages. We’re, once again, talking billions of dollars.

Today, there is between 103 and 109 nuclear power plants in the US. Illinois leads the way with 11 plants. The US gets 19% of it’s electricity from nuclear power plants. This compares to Canada at 15% and Sweden at 44%. Currently there is 23 new nuclear power plants either being built or in the planning stages here in the US.

As we look at nuclear power, let’s keep the following in mind.

Most new nuclear plants will be constructed in the same area where there is already a nuclear plant. Chances are the area surrounding the nuclear plant is more populated than it was 30 years ago when the first plant was built.

We have a problem with oil, ask the wildlife in the gulf. If we have a problem with nuclear it could be even worse, just ask the helicopter pilots that put out the fire at the disaster in Chernobyl.

For years, nuclear power plants have been taking out the spent nuclear fuel rods and replacing them with new fuel rods. The spent rods are usually stored on site because there is nothing else to do with them. We already have thousands of tons of highly radioactive spent fuel rods just sitting around in concrete and metal containers.would

I believe we should put our billions into solar. Seems like a better, long term solution. Let’s take a vote, if you would like to live next to a nuclear power plant, raise your hand. If you would rather live next to a solar farm, raise two hands.