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Recent legislation brought to the United States Senate would hand what amounts to $20 billion in federal funding spread over ten years in order to widen energy technology and increase by twofold the counties nuclear power production. The legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, would offer $100 billion in borrowing assurances for nuclear plants totaling Ten billion dollars in Government liability. Money would also go to cover research into solar energy, carbon emissions capture and numerous other energy based projects.

Senator Alexander would also be supporting a draft proposal to construct one hundred nuclear facilities within twenty years.

It is widely acknowledged now that one of the bigger mistakes in US decision making in the past thirty five years has been the rejection of nuclear power generation. The US must quite simply, through government incentives of some kind, support the construction of further nuclear power facilities in order to reduce and discourage the use of current dirty energy sources like coal and fossil fuel usage. When fully committed, the country could raise the percentage use of nuclear power from twenty percent to over forty percent within twenty years. While doing so, the US would also be creating thousands of new employment opportunities.

 As for the nuclear waste that is produced, it can be processed or stored just as other countries have been doing for years now. When more capable and broad scope energy production, transmission and delivery methods, including those used in the smart grid are available, they could be a value added export of the US and continue to decrease the trade deficit.

The reasons to discontinue producing nuclear power include that it is far too costly to manufacture, particularly the start up expenditures. Nuclear reactors are expensive to build so keeping that in focus, this energy method is not really a choice for many countries to consider, Only first world countries such as America can afford to invest in nuclear technology in a manner that will make a difference to energy output.

Another issue with nuclear energy is the waste produced. Leftover byproduct from the procedure – usually spent fuel – needs to be dealt with safely. If it is not disposed of properly, nuclear waste will be a major health concern not to mention what it can do to the environment. This is probably the largest and most contentious issue regarding nuclear power generation

One more serious problem with nuclear power is the potential for a meltdown. One might also say they should be ruled against because of the danger of tampering with them. An example of this would be if a terrorist group being of a mind to sabotage a facility, parts of the region would be uninhabitable for many long years. The meltdowns can also occur by accident or human error placing nearby civilian populations at tremendous risk.

There are also reasons to utilize nuclear power. One advantage of nuclear power in today’s economic climate is it reduces dependency on foreign oil imports. When nuclear energy is used as a means for electricity we can begin to make the change to alternate forms of power before the oil taps runs dry in what could be as soon as a decade from now.

The cost to build a nuclear plant is quite high of course, however, their maintenance expenditures are actually quite low. This is good for taxpayers who having struggled through the latest recession now desire a break in taxes and government spending as well as their own so they can save for later life.

There is no restriction on location for nuclear power. Not like coal or oil where everything is required to be just so in order to acquire the innate resources to generate the power. Uranium is mined worldwide and transported to any nuclear plant its needed at. Weather and terrain are not a factor as nuclear is consistent energy.

Carbon discharge is extremely limited because there are no carbon waste materials with nuclear power production. Nuke power is sustainable, capable, inexpensive and clean; provided of course a method of nuclear waste disposal can be found that is acceptable.

Nuclear power has a real future but it is a silent yet strong one. There are many reasons why the US should get back on the nuclear band wagon but none is as strong as already having the experience and proven technology to make it happen. The United States should continue to expand its nuclear power footprint. Due to the high costs, a quick recovery is impossible but knowing the option is available and viable is motivating the right people to take action.

Just like some alternative methods of energy generation, nuclear must become cheaper to build in order to find its place in the US energy sector.