One of the most divisive forms of energy we have is nuclear energy. Some people find the potential risk of nuclear power to be too high. Others believe nuclear power can help usher in a world without carbon emissions.
Despite being heavily contested, nuclear energy still accounts for about 20% of the nation’s total energy production.
So that you may better grasp the advantages and disadvantages of this energy source, let’s examine nuclear power in more detail.
Pros and cons of nuclear power
Because it has so many advantages and disadvantages, nuclear energy is a contentious alternative energy source. Here are the key benefits and drawbacks of nuclear energy:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Low-cost energy | Environmental impact |
| Reliable power source | Water intensive |
| Zero-carbon emissions | Risk of nuclear accidents |
| Promising energy future | Radioactive waste |
| High energy density | Non-renewable energy source |
What is nuclear energy?
The United States has been running on nuclear energy for more than 60 years. But how can nuclear power plants actually produce electricity?
Nuclear fission, often known as “nuclear fusion,” is the process of breaking uranium or plutonium atoms through a series of chain reactions in a nuclear reactor. Water is heated into steam using the energy released when the atoms split. The steam is then used to power a turbine, producing useful electricity.
Thorium, according to experts, is a potential additional fuel for nuclear power. In nations like Russia and India, it is already in use.
Advantages of nuclear energy
1. Low-cost energy
Although the initial cost of establishing a nuclear power station is significant, the cost of producing energy from them is comparatively low, and they have low running costs.
Additionally, nuclear energy is less susceptible to price swings than conventional fossil fuel energy sources like coal and natural gas are. This makes it possible to anticipate the cost of nuclear energy well into the future.
As technology develops, that price is expected to stay low or even decrease.
2. Reliable
The fact that nuclear energy is a dependable source of electricity generation is one of its main advantages.
Nuclear energy may be produced at any time of day, unlike solar and wind energy, which require the sun to be out or the wind to be blowing. This implies that there won’t be any pauses in the generation of energy at a nuclear power plant because it can produce energy continuously.
3. Zero carbon emissions
There are no carbon emissions from nuclear power reactors. Compared to conventional energy sources like fossil fuels, which produce large amounts of carbon dioxide in the environment, this is a big advantage.
One of the main contributors to climate change is an excess of carbon dioxide. Therefore, the better an energy source, the lower its carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
In reality, nuclear energy production prevents 528 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from being discharged into the environment each year, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).
4. Promising future energy supply
Achieving nuclear fusion is the ultimate goal in energy production. The same reactions that power the sun could be controlled to produce atomic fusion, giving us virtually limitless energy.
This approach now faces some significant difficulties that must be resolved before it can be applied more widely. When considering energy generation in the future, it’s crucial to keep in mind the potential that it possesses.
5. High energy density
The energy released during a nuclear fission process is thought to be 10 million times more than the energy generated during the combustion of fossil fuels.
Consequently, compared to other types of power plants, the amount of radioactive fuel used in a nuclear power plant is substantially less. This contributes to nuclear energy’s low cost. Thousands of kilowatt hours of energy can be produced by a single nuclear power station.
Disadvantages of nuclear energy
Despite the fact that nuclear energy has a lot of benefits, it also has a lot of drawbacks. The most significant ones are as follows:
1. Environmental impact
Nuclear power facilities don’t emit any carbon dioxide, yet they nonetheless have a big influence on the environment, mostly through water discharge and mining.
It is necessary to mine uranium in order to create nuclear energy. Any type of mining has a detrimental effect on the neighborhood. Arsenic and radon are particularly known to be released during uranium mining. The majority of individuals affected are Navajo people who live close to uranium mining, and this has had a significant effect on their health.
Thermal pollution is another problem associated with nuclear power reactors. A lake or the ocean is where the majority of nuclear power stations are situated. Cooling water, obtained from lakes or the ocean, is used at the power plant to turn steam back into water.
The cooling water is heated up during this process and then discharged back into the body of water. The majority of aquatic species cannot survive in these warm waters, which are typically around 100 degrees Fahrenheit and substantially alter the chemistry of the lake or ocean they are released into.
2. Water intensive
For energy production, nuclear power plants need a lot of water. In order to generate nuclear power in 2015, the United States used 320 billion gallons of water. That is more water than is used in the processing of coal.
This high water usage could become unsustainable when water becomes more scarce, particularly in light of climate change.
3. Risk of nuclear accidents
Strict safety regulations have been put in place for nuclear power facilities. Nevertheless, no matter how careful you are, accidents might still occur. We know from incidents like the Fukushima accident, Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania that a nuclear plant meltdown can have disastrous effects on the neighborhood.
A nuclear meltdown could result in the release of dangerous radiation, which could have a negative impact on both the environment and human health. In the end, thousands of people perished as a result of the Chernobyl tragedy in 1986; estimates range from 4,000 to 60,000. Additionally, more than 2 million people continue to experience health issues due to Chernobyl. Access is still restricted within the 19-mile Chernobyl exclusion zone more than 30 years later.
But it’s crucial to remember that these mishaps don’t happen very often. Additionally, numerous studies demonstrate that, even when disasters like Chernobyl are taken into account, the fossil fuel business is significantly deadlier than the nuclear one.
4. Radioactive waste
Nuclear energy production produces hazardous waste but no detrimental greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere. For thousands of years after it is made, nuclear power plant waste is still dangerously radioactive. When trying to decide how to store this radioactive waste, many problems come up.
Nuclear power facilities are still accumulating waste because there is no long-term storage facility for it. Once power reactors run out of storage space, a concern will arise from the buildup of hazardous nuclear waste.
Additionally, radioactive material may seriously harm nearby places if there is a breach in the storage facility, such a leak. In 1982, the federal government began looking for a location stable enough for the disposal of nuclear waste; however, no such site has been discovered.
5. Non-renewable
A renewable energy source is one that can be regenerated in the course of a human lifetime or one that is not exhausted when it is used. Because humans do not reduce the sun’s power when we convert solar energy into useful electricity, solar power is an example of a renewable resource.
On the other side, nuclear energy is a non-renewable energy source. This is due to the limited supply of uranium, the fuel used in nuclear reactors. We are using up the available uranium through mining, and no more will be created throughout the course of a human lifetime.
Assuming we maintain the current rate of nuclear production, researchers estimate that there is currently enough uranium available to power the world for around 200 years. But if we rely more on nuclear energy in the future, the uranium supply will run out more quickly, which could lead to issues in the years to come.
The future of nuclear energy
As you can see, there are numerous justifications for and against nuclear energy. This carbon-free energy source has the potential to progress us toward a clean energy future with further technology advancements.
In the future, new plants might appear. Other sources of energy, such as geothermal, wind, and solar power, are truly renewable and may help us move toward a more environmentally friendly future.
By adding solar panels, you can currently power your house with green energy. You can power your home with solar energy even when the sun isn’t shining if you combine solar panels with energy storage. Additionally, putting up solar panels can totally remove your power expenditure!
Nuclear Energy: Advantages and Disadvantages Ratings