Nuclear Energy

After coal, nuclear power plants are the largest source of electricity in America. In some countries, such as France, nuclear energy is the major electricity source. A lot of people hear the word nuclear and they get scared that something is going to blow up, or that the electricity is radioactive. Some people even think that the plants are fueled by nuclear explosions. In fact, nuclear energy is generated not so differently than other forms of power. Most power plants have a giant generator which is spun by high-pressure steam and a turbine. Inside of the generator are magnetic fields and coils of wire that interact and create electricity. Instead of burning coil or fossil fuels, nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to boil the water into steam.

Lets take a quick look at how nuclear fission actually works. The common substances used to fuel the nuclear reactor is uranium-235, although plutonium-239 is also used. The basic concept involves firing a neutron into a single atom. For example, firing a neutron into an atom of uranium-235 results in the breaking up of the uranium into lighter elements and scattering more neutrons. Fission occurs when the scattering atoms break down other uranium-235 atoms, creating a chain reaction. The amount of free energy released by these atoms as they split apart is millions of times that of similar mass chemical fuels release, making nuclear power a very tempting source of energy.

I believe that nuclear energy is a valuable source of energy, and will be even more so in the future. Lets take a look at some public concerns about nuclear energy:

Environmental: Because nuclear energy plants produce electricity through the fission of uranium and not the burning of fuels, it does not pollute the air with more greenhouse gases. American nuclear energy plants reduces electricity emissions of greenhouse gases by about 20 percent. 

Safety: Many people are concerned about the safety of nuclear  plants, especially since the disaster at Chernobyl. However, the nuclear industry has created a number of safe fall backs and precautions should anything like that should happen again. We also have an impressive 12,000 reactor years of experience to draw upon. People should realize that nuclear power plants are much safer today than they were decades ago.

Cost: When carbon taxes are taken into account, nuclear power is the second cheapest form of electricity, behind hydroelectric. Considering that hydroelectric power cannot sustain the population, nuclear is the most cost competitive electricity we have. More nuclear power can also help to push the U.S. off a foreign dependence of oil. 

If you take a look at my other blog, you can see that i am an advocate for investing in new business. Pumping the millions of uninvested money companies have on the sidelines into nuclear energy can be just what the United States needs to encourage economic growth. We can also see the benefits of foreign investments as well. Countries like China and India, which are desperate for cheap electricity to fuel its giant populations, would be very interested in the cost benefits of nuclear power.

Don't judge nuclear energy because it sounds dangerous or expensive. As we look to rid ourselves of fossil fuels and foreign oil, nuclear energy is the best current source of energy for future use.