I predict that there will be new nuclear power plants built in the Unites States even though none have been started since before the accident at Three Mile Island.
How soon? Almost certainly within the next 10 years, there will be several under construction, possibly one or more on line, providing power to the national electric grid.
Currently, there are 12 new nuclear reactor construction applications before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with more likely to be on the way — so many, that the NRC will be faced with increasing staff to be able to review and evaluate the applications, after many years of staff reductions.
Why is this occurring?
Demand for electricity continues to soar, the price of natural gas has quadrupled — the United States get 24% of its electric power from gas powered generating plants— and Congress has approved significant incentives for new nuclear plants. As well, surveys of Americans indicate that over half believe that nuclear power plants should be built, though the majority would not want one built near their homes.
More information concerning the prospects of nuclear power can be found in The New Nuclear Thing published 2/3/2006 on TheStreet.com.
2 Responses to “New Nuclear Power Plants?”
- James Aach Says:
February 6th, 2006 at 12:14 pm I agree there probably will be a new US nuclear plant within a decade – primarily because it’s growing equally hard economically and politically to build other types of large generation stations as well. If you’d like an entertaining insider account of the US nuclear energy industry, see http://RadDecision.blogspot.com for a techno-trhiller novel by a longtime industry engineer. It’s available at no cost to readers (who seem to like it, judging from the comments at the homepage). - Mike Says:
February 6th, 2006 at 8:17 pm I’m not sure that I need an entertaining insider account of the U.S. nuclear energy industry.Maybe after I retire — from being a long-time insider of the U.S. nuclear energy industry and before that the nuclear navy.
Post from one of my abandoned blogs – North Farnham Freeholder – recovered from Internet Archive WayBackMachine March 2011
