What are the Pros and Cons of Nuclear Energy

The applications of nuclear reactors as our mainseveral billion US dollars it is hard to imagine that
power source for the future is a huge subject ofmoney will be left over for research which could
debate, named The Nuclear Debate. The generationmake plants cheaper and more efficient. To get an
of nuclear power from nuclear fuel for civilianidea of the scope of building that would be necessary
purposes is a quest that 21 one companies are takingif we wanted to count on getting 80% of our
on for the first time since 1973. The Nuclearenergy from nuclear fission, we would need
Regulatory Commission reports they will seekthousands of new plants. Nuclear development is
permission to build 34 power plants from New Yorktherefore conceivable on the scale necessary only if
to Texas. Multi billion dollar investments that wereit is backed by inappropriately large economic
riding on the choice of an energy source are nowsubsidies in the form of taxpayer funded research
being funneled into new nuclear energy projectsand development and risks.
costing several billion dollars for each plant.Public subsidies and tax expenditures involved in
Supports claim new nuclear plants are neededresearch and security. The decommissioning of a
because of the variable needs for different amountsnuclear facility has unforeseen potential costs as we
of energy to be stored and released at differentdo not know what it may cost to dispose, safely of
times. This is also known as base power.the nuclear waste and the taxpayers might pay for
Hydroelectricity comes close with it?s man made damthis risk. With new nuclear plant building beginning
control that allows us to release more power asagain, alternative energy source development
needed but as the natural conditions must be in placeadvocates are also worried about the lack of
the potential for stored nuclear power is so muchresearch and development for other power sources.
greater. Nuclear energy supporters claim back upBecause of the massive power potential of nuclear
sources are necessary with other forms of energyenergy there is a danger that there could be a lock-in
like wind and solar because they fail to produce aeffect or the creation of market entry barriers for
constant supply or surplus of energy that is offeredother sources of energy like solar and wind energy.
by nuclear power.Other competing energy sources still receive large
The primary environment impacts of nuclear powerdirect production subsides and tax breaks in many
come from Uranium mining, radioactive emissions andnations.
heat waste. The greenhouse gas emissions producedAs long as the subsidies continue to be given for
thru the nuclear fuel cycle are only a fraction ofalternative energy sources while we enter a new ten
those produced by fossil fuels. However, new nuclearyear nuclear energy plant construction period, energy
power plants are considered unfavorable bysolutions can come from many alternative sources
anti-nuclear organizations because of the initial cost ofboth corporate and homespun, yet none with as
constructing them and the fact that a new plant willmuch energy potential and on the massive scale of
take 10 years to build. Because each plant costsnuclear energy development.