The Future

The Future of Nuclear Power

In 2009, there were 439 nuclear reactors operating in 30 countries, with more than 40 under current construction. The United States has 104 nuclear reactors in operation today, generating 20% of our total electricity production, and 26 new nuclear reactors are on the immediate horizon for the US.

History of Nuclear Power

While the construction of nuclear power plants had waned in recent years, the current geopolitical circumstances have revived the US’s interest in developing nuclear power. With sufficient nuclear power, the United States could potentially reduce the current dependency on foreign imports for gas and oil and decrease the amount of pollution caused by the burning of these fuels.
Nuclear power is a powerful source of clean energy that can’t be ignored. It has vast potential to power our country’s energy needs without the dangers of mining and the harmful environmental implications that are produced from fossil-fuel consumption. And, when combined with other renewable clean energy sources such as wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal power, it could eventually lead to the United States being solely powered by clean, efficient energy that originates within our borders, cutting down our reliance on other countries to provide us with sufficient resources to supply our increased demand for energy.

Energy

The Benefits of Using Nuclear Power

Nuclear power is a clean source of energy that produces no carbon-dioxide emissions or greenhouse gases. That means there is little impact on the environment, and we could actually improve the quality of the air if nuclear were to replace other fossil-burning energy sources such as coal, which produce huge amounts of pollution and waste.
For example, to make the comparison of nuclear power and coal, nuclear power produces only 2,000 tons of solid waste each year. While coal produces more than 100,000,000 tons of solid waste in the form of ash and sludge every year. That ash that is released into our environment contains poisons such as mercury and nitric acid – pollutants that are both harmful to the environment and to our health!
Also nuclear power has another advantage over coal. The fission of just one atom of uranium produces more than 10 million times the energy that comes from burning an atom of carbon from coal.

Nuclear Plant

In terms of safety, nuclear power has been plagued by the myth that the harnessing of this type of clean energy is unsafe, but did you know that there has not been one single fatality from Nuclear power in the United States? During the Three Mile Island incident back in 1979, the reactor was destroyed, but the core itself remained confined and there is no evidence that the public was harmed.

Even more interesting is the infamous Chernobyl accident in 1986. When we really examine the facts of the case, we begin to understand that when compared to other accidents that happen all over the world in the coal mining industry, the effects of Chernobyl were relatively minor. Only 31 people were killed during the explosion.
In the United States alone, there have been 717 coal mining disasters that resulted in at least 5 or more deaths, and more than 1500 coal miners die a year from black lung – a result of coal dust particles settling in the lungs. On average, about 60 people in the US die from coal mining accidents every year. In China, just from 2000 – 2008, almost 50,000 people have died due to coal mining.
Thousands of fatalities have occurred due to coal mining in the history of the United States. Compare that to not a single lost life for nuclear power in US history and there really is no comparison. After examining the construction of Chernobyl, it was determined that the design of the power plant was extremely poor and the actual maintenance itself wasn’t up to par either. The reactor actually reached 150 times its normal power level before the water pressure was

Renewable Energy Sources

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Improving Nuclear Safety

Although substantial progress has been made in improving the safe operational performance of nuclear installations over the past years, a number of issues continue to be of concern. As nuclear power technology continues to spread and more countries develop indigenous plant designs, the resultant diversification highlights the importance of: ensuring quality; managing and sharing knowledge; utilizing common, internationally accepted safety standards; balancing the needs of safety and security; promoting cooperation and sharing of experience among regulatory authorities; and adapting the practices of international vendors and contractors to the diverse cultures of countries with new nuclear programs.
Analyses of reported safety events reveal operational practices that sometimes point to the need for improvements within both the regulatory authorities and operating organizations. And a number of issues related to the long term operation of nuclear facilities - such as equipment aging concerns - require further attention. The IAEA continues to work towards the development of an international consensus on sound approaches for dealing with these issues.
To this end, the IAEA has conducted hundreds of expert missions to improve the design and operation of NPPs. Every country with a nuclear programme has been the recipient of IAEA services, including design safety reviews, operational safety assessments, and initiatives to improve the use of modern safety assessment tools. Special emphasis has been placed on the RBMK (Chernobyl-type) reactor. The 15 RBMK reactors in Russia and the two in Lithuania are the only reactors of this design still in operation, and the Lithuanian reactors are scheduled for closure in 2005 and 2009. Due to the improvements achieved through IAEA and country-to-country efforts, IAEA safety experts judge that the direct safety concerns posed by the 1986 Chernobyl accident have been adequately addressed.
One of the key components of the global commitment to NPP safety is the Convention on Nuclear Safety. Prior to each meeting, countries submit national reports on all nuclear facilities and how they meet the obligations of the Convention. These submissions are then reviewed by the other parties to the Convention and openly debated and questions and criticisms exchanged.
Following Chernobyl, the IAEA additionally chartered the creation of the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group (INSAG), composed of renowned safety experts from throughout the world and charged with providing advice to the IAEA on how best to pursue its safety mandate. The group has produced important advisory documents, covering topics from basic safety principles through management of operational safety to strengthening safety culture, with a special emphasis on communicating safety concerns and insights to the public and media.
"The bottom line is that there is now widespread international recognition of and commitment to the principle that NPP operations must focus on safety, first and foremost," says Tomihiro Taniguchi, Deputy Director General for Nuclear Safety.