The New Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy is in the news. And it's not because of the latest nuclear power plant disaster. In fact, nuclear energy is now being considered as an alternative fuel source that might be better for the environment.
There are a few reasons why increased use of nuclear power as opposed to other forms of energy might be beneficial. From lower levels of emissions (better for air quality) to less use of natural resources, using nuclear energy has clear benefits. Add that to the economic value (when was the last time you noticed low cost gas at the pump?), and you get a form of energy that could become an excellent alternative to coal and natural gas.

What is Nuclear Energy?

First things first - Nuclear energy is a form of energy usually used to generate electricity. There are nuclear power plants all over the world solely devoted to this task. Nuclear energy is created by causing a reaction with uranium in a nuclear reactor. Doesn't sound so clean and green, but in fact, there are no CO2 emissions produced in the process. And Uranium, the natural resource needed to create nuclear energy, is fairly available. Not only that, but unlike coal, very little uranium is needed in order to produce a lot of energy. In fact, you need 20,000 times weight of uranium in coal to produce the same amount of energy

So What's the Downside of Nuclear Energy?

Nuclear Energy may sound like the perfect solution to the world's energy crisis when put in those terms, but in fact, there are still many concerns about going nuclear. First of all, there's the fear factor. Not long ago, there were disasters at nuclear power plants that caused destruction and devastation. Most famously, the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, affected an entire city whose inhabitants were forced to live with the results for the rest of their lives.
Today, nuclear power plants are constructed in such away that an automatic shutdown occurs in case of a leak. That means that there is no possibility that the nuclear reactors will continue to function if some sort of mishap occurs. And any nuclear energy and heat that is already created is automatically disposed of in a safe and secure way.
But while a disaster like Chernobyl may no longer be a genuine concern, many people still have negative associations with the idea of a nuclear power plant located near where they live.

Is Nuclear Energy Cost Effective?

But what if the public fear factor can be mitigated? Nuclear energy has been proven to be a much cleaner source of electricity than petroleum and coal - but how does it compete in terms of cost?
For now, the costs associated with nuclear energy and energy from coal are about the same. But while the costs of nuclear energy won't fluctuate in any significant way, the costs of energy produced from coal or petroleum can fluctuate quite a bit. That's because the proportion of natural resources used to create electricity from those forms of energy is much higher than what's used in a nuclear process.



Another factor that may affect the cost effectiveness of nuclear energy is taxes on emissions. Low cost gas is now an excellent alternative to electricity because there are no extra taxes on natural gas. But in order to encourage people to use alternative energy sources that are gentler on the environment, this may change. In that scenario, nuclear energy could be significantly cheaper than energy produced with coal or petroleum.



Most agree that we still have a lot to learn about nuclear energy and how it could possibly be used as a cleaner and less expensive fuel alternative. Perhaps with a deeper focus on the need for alternative fuels, we'll find a way to incorporate nuclear energy into a better solution for our environment.