Nuclear Power Plants: A New Day of Energy In America?
Abandoned Power Plants Come Back To Life
The nuclear power industry is trying to come back. With natural gas prices volatile and people anxious about climate change, the nuclear power industry is touting its technology as a way to meet the nation’s growing energy needs without emitting more greenhouse gases. Over the next two years, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission expects applications to build as many as 32 new nuclear reactors. Uh… Yikes?
Utilities and independent power companies are laying the groundwork for a new wave of U.S. nuclear plants. On Sept. 24, NRG Energy filed the first full application for a new nuclear unit since the partial meltdown of Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island plant in 1979. There is still a lot of worry about the economics of nuclear power. Nuclear plants are hugely expensive to build; they have long lead times and a history of cost overruns. Bottlenecks loom for key components if more than a few plants are built. The price of uranium has soared in recent years. So has the cost of construction materials and skilled labor, which is in short supply. Politicians, environmentalists and business still can’t decide how to dispose of radioactive waste. Well, there’s outer space!
