New Power Plants

U.S. demand for electricity will increase 50 percent by 2025, according to forecasts in the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) “Annual Energy Outlook 2004.” At least 350,000 megawatts of new generating capacity — hundreds of new power plants — will be needed before then.

While the 1979 accident at Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island nuclear power plant abruptly halted the construction of new reactors in the United States, nuclear power has not been dormant. Indeed, 103 operating nuclear reactors generate approximately 20 percent of the nation’s electricity. Given forecasted energy demand, positive changes in the nuclear power industry, ever-fluctuating fossil fuel prices and environmental concerns, nuclear energy likely will grow as a percentage of the nation’s energy mix.

Due to consolidation within the nuclear power industry, streamlined federal relicensing procedures and improved operating efficiency, operating costs have fallen from 3.31 cents per kilowatt-hour in 1988 to 1.7 cents, which is slightly lower than coal and much lower than the 3 to 5 cents per Kwh cost for natural gas-fired plants. Only hydroelectric plants have lower operating costs.

America has become increasingly reliant on imported supplies of oil and natural gas, two of the three fossil fuels used to generate electricity. World oil and natural gas prices fluctuate rapidly and significantly, and these fuel supplies too often depend upon regimes with interests hostile to the United States. Accessible uranium reserves, however, can provide an estimated 300-year fuel supply for all the world’s existing reactors.

Compared to other significant sources of electricity, nuclear power has many environmental benefits. For instance, numerous studies indicate that various air pollutants contribute to thousands of premature deaths and illnesses annually. Much of this pollution comes from fossil-fuel power plants. By comparison, nuclear plants produce virtually no air pollution. In addition, for those concerned about CO2 emissions contributing to global warming, nuclear power is a CO2-free energy option. By comparison, average CO2 emissions per MWh of energy produced are 2,249 pounds for coal fired power plants, 1,672 pounds for oil fired power plants, and 1,135 pounds for gas fired power plants.

There is a growing, worldwide demand for electricity — to maintain current living standards in developed countries and to raise those in the world’s developing nations, where populations are rising precipitously. In addition, people have expressed growing concerns about air quality. These factors make building new nuclear power plants essential to meet our growing energy requirements while addressing environmental concerns.


http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba511/
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Harlow
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