Nuclear power provides 60 percent of US carbon-free electricity generation, but existing plants are aging and only one is under construction. Should government intervene to keep nuclear energy in the mix?
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Articles on Nuclear power plants
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South Africa’s obsession with nuclear energy under the leadership of President Zuma, is dangerous.
For South Africa decommissioning its nuclear plant Koeberg is a reality that cannot be ignored much longer.
Kenya’s government, while promising cheaper power to consumers may actually be undercutting this promise in its pursuit of nuclear power plants and other costly projects.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission normally works in obscurity, but is in the spotlight as it considers a proposal to support coal and nuclear power plants that are having trouble competing.
Even if the nuclear plan can be massaged in South African President Jacob Zuma’s interests, it won’t be enough to ensure the deal goes through.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry says the US needs to subsidize nuclear and coal power plants to keep the grid stable. But this policy would raise energy costs and could drive consumers off-grid instead.
South African President Jacob Zuma’s efforts to promote his unpopular nuclear project are weakening him politically but he still seems keen to pursue it.
Technology has redefined astronomy. Pioneering telescope designs have allowed astronomers to unravel ever more complex questions about the universe and its mysteries.
The Department of Energy’s review of the electricity grid finds natural gas, rather than renewables, has hurt coal and nuclear power. But that’s only half the story of the changes underway.
A nuclear physicist and disarmament expert recommends reading on nuclear disasters, weapons, authoritarianism and climate change.
Nuclear power plants don’t just pump out steady, carbon-free electricity; they also help produce the people the US needs for nuclear weapons inspections.
Nuclear industry players tout small modular reactors as an “inherently safe,” cost-effective source of electricity. The reality may be less attractive.
Eskom’s stand threatens the viability of the entire renewable energy sector in South Africa, something which plays into the hands of those pro coal and nuclear.
A ruling by a South African court makes it unlikely that the country will see any nuclear development in the foreseeable future.
The next generation of reactors provide in-built safety systems and a way to reuse old fuel.
Nuclear power was a cornerstone of Japan’s energy strategy for decades, until the Fukushima disaster. The current government wants to keep some nuclear reactors open, but has lost public support.
Fusion power, if it works, offers vast amounts of clean energy and almost zero carbon emissions. A new experimental fusion reactor has come online, and it uses a curious twisted stellarator design.
Fusion development takes time. It cannot be developed in miniature and then be simply scaled up. But we must work now, to make it possible to meet humanity’s need for abundant, clean energy.
The latest earthquake off Japan’s east coast was an ominous reminder of the 2011 Fukushima disaster. But despite a technical hitch at one of Fukushima’s other reactors, there was no repeat this time.
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Top contributors
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Professor of Physics, University of Johannesburg
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Professor of Engineering and International Relations, University of Southern California
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Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia
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Directeur du Centre de recherche sur les risques et les crises, Mines Paris - PSL
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Sociologue, IMT Atlantique – Institut Mines-Télécom
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Timothy J. Jorgensen is a Friend of The Conversation.
Director of the Health Physics and Radiation Protection Graduate Program and Professor of Radiation Medicine, Georgetown University
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Professor, Mathematical Sciences Institute, Australian National University
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Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland
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Lecturer, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington
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Honorary Senior Research Associate, UCL Energy Institute, University College London, UCL
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Reader in Energy Policy, University of Aberdeen
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Director of Energy Studies, University of Florida
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John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation and Professor, Western University
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Head, Warwick Business School Global Energy Research Network, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick
