Nuclear Power Plants??

Question

I have a few questions about power plants:

When and where was the last nuclear power plant built?

I know Bush was talking about building new power plants. But has he actually built any? If not, is there any plan to do so?

And with the new technology we have, what are the pros and cons (Besides waste byproduct, meltdown) of modern power plants?

How will it affect the economy and gas prices?

Answer 1

I don't know the answers to the questions about when the last one was built or if Bush got anything going on them.

This is going to sound weird, but I'm an enviromentilist that works in a coal fired power plant. I've seen how filthy coal is on the land, air and water. I also work with a guy that has over 25 years working at a nuke plant. He left because of the incredible redundency at nuke plants. There are over 4 times as many people working there now as when he first started and a lot of that is just to drive the cost up of nuclear generation. Let me tell you that electric generation is highly political and that too many times the enviromentilists are getting in the way. Don't get me wrong!!!! They are what cleaned it up in the first place and they do have a sense of purpose. But they stop the further development of power plants and subsiquently the drive to efficincy (the best way to clean up the enviroment). I heard that there was a coal fired boiler in Canada that has zero emmisions. Coal is are cheapest most abundant fuel and done right could be a real problem solver. Back to the nukes....They have zero emmisions and are very reliable. France is very dependent on them and we never hear of problems from there. It's a technology that if America doesn't pursue in a safe and viable manner, 3rd world countries are going to perfect it in not so clean and safe manners. We will also lose our techncal advantage with it which will be a blow to our national defense. Yes there are dangers (large ones about waste) that maybe going farther with the technology we will be able to figure out. Such as breeder reactors that can burn the waste into a far more safer by-product. I'm not an expert and the problem is the experts are divided on what is and what isn't. To me we should pursue the nukes. How will it affect gas prices and the economy? Very little....The economy isn't based on power generation and most electricity comes from coal.

Answer 2

No new orders for the construction of a nuclear power plant have been made sense 1979. However some plants started by then were not finished until the mid 80s. This is due to supply and demand despite some myths about TMI (Three Mile Island).

Bush is talking about building new plants but he is not the one who decides where and when. The power companies do (Westinghouse, Dominion, etc) and they are all looking to start building soon. I think Westinghouse is looking at construction at a site in Illinois as soon as next year.

Pros: There are a lot. New plant designs are safer, have higher burn up capabilities, better efficiencies, and are more profitable. (This isn't to say that current reactors are not safe, they are safe). If you want to learn more about these new reactors try goggling Gen IV Reactors, ABWR, ESBWR, Pebble Bed reactor.

CONS: I hate to say it by this country still does not have the infrastructure to handle nuclear waste. The technology exists to do a lot of things with it. If we reprocess we could reduce this waste to practically nothing. And what is left has half lives of only 10-30 years. I would like to emphasize that this is a political issue not a technology or safety issue.

Answer 3

1.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_reactors#United_States_of_America

2. No there isn't any plan.

3. Advantages of nuclear power plants against other mainstream energy resources are:

* No greenhouse gas emissions (during normal operation) - greenhouse gases are emitted only when the Emergency Diesel Generators are tested (the processes of uranium mining and of building and decommissioning power stations produce relatively small amounts)

* Does not pollute the air - zero production of dangerous and polluting gases such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, aerosols, mercury, nitrogen oxides, particulates or photochemical smog
* Small solid waste generation (during normal operation)
* Low fuel costs - because so little fuel is needed
* Large fuel reserves - again, because so little fuel is needed
* Nuclear batteries - (see SSTAR)

However, the disadvantages include:

* Risk of major accidents - an example of the worst possible situation is what happened to Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (which did not have a containment building)
* Nuclear waste - high level radioactive waste produced can remain dangerous for thousands of years
* Can help produce bombs - all designs of reactor can produce plutonium, aiding nuclear proliferation (see Magnox)
* High initial costs
* High maintenance costs
* Security concerns
* High cost of decommissioning plants
* Thermal pollution

4. Very little direct impact on economy and gas prices unless they could replace all the fuel required functions with nuclear energy. which wouldn't be happening anytime soon. and to maintian one nuclear plant is as costly as not having one at all.

Answer 4

Its the only real option we have to fossil fuels. Waste disposal is the only real problem I am aware of. Right this minute the cheapest electrical power next to hydroelectric is nuclear.

The China syndrome is BS. In order to sustain a reaction the radioactive material has to be placed in the correct density. If it melts and splatters all over a floor the reaction will cool down, not burn through to china.

As far as I know there hasn't been a plant built in the U.S. since 3 mile Island. Regulatory red tape and illogical public concern have almost shut down the industry in the U.S.

Answer 5

We haven't built any here in the US for 30 years because of irrational fear of them generated by the tree-huggers. Nuclear power plants are by far the safest and cheapest source of energy we know how to tap at this point and we should be building them like crazy. Then we could really go to electric cars and get off of our dependency on foreign oil.

Answer 6

Nuclear power is the way forward.

Answer 7

1. He doesn't know.
2. He doesn't know
3. He doesn't care.
4. No relief in gas prices. we need gas and will buy it. period.

Answer 8

the nuclear energy was supposed to be ...like...free why is my bill$400? bring it all down the oil everything