December 2nd marked the annual World Nuclear Energy Day. Support for nuclear energy is at a historic high in the U.S.—with 56% of the public expressing favorable attitudes about it. Another survey found support for nuclear hovering at 77%.
After natural gas (43.1%) and coal (16.2%), nuclear (18.6%) is the third largest source of electricity in the U.S. With rising global electricity demand, nuclear power will be essential to supply reliable power around the clock.
To learn about its importance, let’s play this party game/icebreaker “Two Truths and a Lie.”
A. Nuclear energy is the most reliable energy source available.
B. There’s no demand for new nuclear capacity.
C. Nuclear power plants are environmentally friendly and safe.
A. Truth! Nuclear power can provide uninterrupted electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Of all available energy sources, the U.S. Department of Energy has praised nuclear power for boasting a capacity factor of 93%—running close to maximum power (100%).
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, nuclear power plants are about “1.5 to 2 times more reliable than natural gas (57%) and coal (48%) plants, and roughly 2.5 to 3.5 times more reliable than wind (35%) and solar (25%) plants.”
Moreover, 94 nuclear reactors are currently responsible for producing 18.6% of current U.S. electricity generation.
B. Lie! Power demand is rising thanks in large part to new demand from data centers.
Experts have said electricity from both nuclear and natural gas will address these needs. This new demand for reliable capacity has already spurred the announced reopenings of two previously closed nuclear power plants, Palisades in Michigan, and Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. There have also been announcements of companies looking to uprate existing nuclear plants (make improvements to allow them to produce more power).
Reopening recently shuttered reactors and uprating existing reactors is faster than building new ones, but there are also companies with plans to build both traditional large reactors and new small modular reactor designs to meet the coming demand.
C. Truth! Nuclear power is environmentally friendly when it comes to both safety and land use.
At the point of generation, nuclear power plants produce no emissions and adhere to strict safety protocols. Only three significant accidents occurred at nuclear plants worldwide over the last 60 years. Nuclear plants are designed to minimize accidental radiation release and Chernobyl-like meltdowns. That’s why reactor operators undergo hours of rigorous training and must be federally licensed to supervise plants. Moreover, all nuclear waste (or used nuclear fuel) produced over these last 60 years can be safely stored in a single football field.
Nuclear also uses significantly less land than wind and solar. A 1,000 gigawatt (GW) facility uses about 1.3 square miles of land, while comparable utility-scale solar and wind projects require 75 and 360 times more land, respectively, to produce the same amount of electricity.
Bottom Line:
The American nuclear energy renaissance is getting a boost from both the public and private sectors. The U.S. is expected to triple its net nuclear energy capacity to 200 gigawatts (GW). The incoming Trump-Vance administration is expected to innovate in nuclear energy again as it did between 2017-2021, with incoming Energy Secretary Chris Wright—a board member of a nuclear start-up company— being a champion.
To learn more about nuclear energy, go here.