Bob Magill reports that although nuclear power is a low-carbon source of electricity, Maghill claims that nuclear is not likely to grow much in the United States, even as President Obama pushes to slash greenhouse gas emissions from electric power plants.
But the U.S. Department of Energy is betting that $60 million in new research and development could eventually breathe some new life into nuclear power in the U.S., helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Obama Clean Power Plan.
Nuclear power accounts for about 20 percent of all electricity generated in the U.S. The U.S. Energy Information Administration claims that number will fall to 16 percent by 2040 with or without the Clean Power Plan. If finalized, the plan would not slash emissions from existing nuclear power plants (as inferred by Magill) because their their very presence reduces emissions when compared to to the emissions of burning natural gas and coal.
The $60 million the Department of Energy is dedicating to nuclear research will go to more than 40 different projects at universities across the U.S. focusing on nuclear energy modeling, nuclear security and safety and new reactor concepts and fuels.
U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, speaking Monday at the Energy Information Administration annual energy conference in Washington, said he is bullish on nuclear power as a clean energy source. However, the high capital costs of building nuclear power plants have to come down, he said, although the Secretary should be reminded that the plants would be designed to operate for 50 years or more.
The federal government is interested in testing small modular nuclear reactors, which are more efficient and less costly to build than large traditional nuclear power plants, as a way to make nuclear power less expensive. Such SMR plants, deployed within the grid in clusters around a large or small city, could generate 50 megawatts each and could be operating within a decade, he implied.
Resource Portal for I2M Clients, Associates, and Geoscientists
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-