Can the world fight global warming without nuclear power? One major industrialized country — Germany — is determined to find out, and another — Japan — is debating whether to try. Both illustrate how hard it would be.
Latest Nuclear Energy Industry News
LTE: Benefits of Nuclear Power
The New York Times
by: Christine Todd Whitman
April 19, 2012
Nuclear energy accounts for 70 percent of the clean electricity produced in the United States, and together with renewables like solar and wind is a vital part of any clean energy portfolio. Companies that rely on 24/7 baseload power to meet their electricity needs are contributing to emission-reduction goals by including nuclear in their energy mix.
U.S. nuclear reactors are safe
CNN
by: Marvin Fertel
March 14, 2012
The nuclear industry is, without hesitation, using what is being learned from Japan to improve safety. Within days of the Fukushima accident, the U.S. industry launched intensive inspections to evaluate the readiness of the operators and equipment to respond to events similar to what happened in Japan, including managing an extended loss of power for vital safety systems, and seismic and flooding challenges.
Spencer: Hold the obits on nuclear power
The Washington Times
by: Jack Spencer
March 14, 2012
After Fukushima, commenters were quick to write off nuclear energy. But, because of the lessons learned and regulations put in place since Three Mile Island, the September 11 attacks, and Fukushima, nuclear production is safer than ever. Natural gas prices have skyrocketed and environmental consciousness is at an all time high, so reform is needed to allow greater competition in energy markets. This reform should expand the NRC’s technical expertise to regulate new technologies and introduce market forces to nuclear waste management.
Exelon outlines post Fukushima safety measures at Limerick nuke plant
The Mercury
by: Evan Brandt
March 12, 2012
After the Fukushima disaster, personnel from Exelon were dispatched to Japan to provide expertise. In the year since, actions taken at the Limerick reactors have included: creating, revising, and verifying over 200 procedures; additional training on backup emergency equipment pump; hands on pump trailer training; review of over 90 pieces of portable and installed equipment; inspection of external and internal design barriers and seals; modified training and main control room simulations to address post-Fukushima lessons.
Support is growing for U.S. nuclear power post-Fukushima, survey says
Power Engineering Magazine
February 27, 2012
A new poll shows that support for nuclear power in the U.S. has increased recently; 64 percent of respondents now say they support nuclear energy, only 7 points below where it had been before the Fukushima meltdown. Opposition has also fallen, down to 33 percent from 35 percent in September. Over 80 percent of respondents believe that nuclear energy will play a key role in America’s future electricity demands and that the U.S. should learn from Fukushima to develop advanced nuclear power plants. Two-thirds of those polled are okay with new reactors being built at current sites, while 58 percent support building new sites.
Nuclear Plants are Powerful Economic Engines
U.S. News & World Report
by: Eric Loewen
February 3, 2012
The American Nuclear Society strongly believes that nuclear energy for the production of stable, diversified baseload electricity in the United States should be expanded. Demand for electricity continues to increase as we move to a more digital, electrified society. At present, however, nuclear energy only accounts for about 20 percent of all electricity in the United States. Nuclear energy is the only energy source whose technology is both proven and becoming safer and more efficient. Along with reducing our carbon footprint and improving productive efficiency, newly Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved nuclear facility designs show themselves to be good for local economies. The construction of only one new plant will initially create 1,700 jobs with the promise of additional highly paid, skilled employment, and eventually will generate $400 million to $600 million in revenue for the community.
Nuclear Power’s Undeserved Bad Year
White House Chronicle
by: Llewellyn King
December 31, 2011
The great event of the nuclear calendar for 2011 was the earthquake and tsunami that hammered three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. As with all accidents or even incidents, nuclear is held to a standard of safety orders of magnitude stricter than is applied to any other industrial activity, including other big energy undertakings, like oil refining, chemical production and transportation, and aviation. The suspicion that falls upon nuclear technology is not only unfair – it is uneven.
Nuclear power: The case for a safe, alternative energy source
The Washington Times
by: Mario Salazar
December 28, 2011
Nuclear energy is relatively cheap to use and produces less environmental and public health impact than fossil fuels. Unfortunately, high profile events have given nuclear power a bad reputation. However, every day we read about gas explosions, car fires, and many other accidents in which fossil fuels were at least contributors. Every energy source has built in dangers. There’s no such thing as safe energy, but relatively safe. And nuclear power is relatively safe.
Generating electricity and jobs
The Bellingham Herald
by: Christine Todd Whitman
December 22, 2011
As state leaders struggle to meet rising energy demand in a sluggish economy, some are embracing nuclear energy as a solution that provides jobs as well as affordable electricity. Today the U.S. nuclear energy industry supports more than 100,000 jobs, and electric utilities are planning to build eight or more nuclear energy facilities over the next 15 years. If these plans are realized, the construction and operation of new facilities will require thousands of skilled workers.