The Troubled Future of Nuclear Energy

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Sustainability in the energy industry commonly means the ability to be able to use an energy resource or technology now and in the future without a drop in the amount of energy produced by that resource. This is very important when dealing with energy resources like coal, petroleum, natural gas, and even nuclear. Of all the energy technologies based on finite natural resources, nuclear is the only one that sustainable over a great deal of time. At the rate we are using natural gas, the natural gas reserves in the US will dry up within 50 years. The same is true for petroleum as it continues increasing in price. Coal will last a little longer with a longer term outlook of around 200 years (“Why Nuclear Energy Is Sustainable"). This clearly shows the energy problems that we will have in the future with nuclear being a safe alternative. Another benefit is that nuclear power plants are not as reliant on foreign energy reserves as other energy technologies allowing for more self- sufficiency and less foreign dependence.

Its final major benefit is that it more adaptable than the renewable technology that we currently have. The main point of renewable energy is to create energy that is sustainable and does not cause environmental damage and produce pollution. The most notable of these technologies is wind, hydro, and solar.

Wind and solar have the problem that they cannot produce electricity continuously. In fact, they can only produce power roughly 10% to 40% of the time. This means that they need a backup power plant to produce the 60% to 90% of the electricity that the solar fields and wind turbines can’t produce (‘Why Nuclear Energy Is Sustainable"). This power plant is almost always a coal power plant. In other words these two “clean” technologies cause a lot of pollution because of their reliance on fossil fuels to fix their unreliability. Nuclear is far cleaner because it can produce power constantly and produce almost no pollution themselves.

Hydro on the other is very reliable but requires special conditions to work. It needs large bodies of water to work and it usually is only cost effective when used inside of dams. It is the best of the renewable energies as far as being sustainable, reliable, and green. However, because of the necessary special conditions it is only economically feasible in a few select areas. Nuclear power plants have more choices in where they can be placed so can be built where they are needed.

Nuclear energy has come a long way and it is still evolving and changing. It remains a major part of many countries energy infrastructure. Hopefully, it will play its part in creating a better world and not be dragged done when its needed most.

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