Nuclear Power Plant Basics What are the advantages

Nuclear Power Plant Basics

What are the advantages of nuclear power? n n Nuclear Energy Institute Economic Cost n What was the promise of nuclear power? n How did that work out? Environmental costs of alternatives n Did we care about global warming in 1975? n Coal n Wind farms Strategic issues n Why has France pushed for 100% nuclear power? 2

Reactor Design - Traditional 3

Reactor Safety n n What are the design issues? n Reactors are steam engines n Do they fail safe or do they melt down? How do you protect the environment? n Containment n Self-moderating - heavy water n Pellet bed reactors 4

Pebble Bed Reactor: A Proposed Fail-safe Design 5

The Problem of Nuclear Waste n n Why not just take nuclear waste to the land fill or burn it up? n How long does it last? n Where do we dispose of nuclear power plant waste in the US? n What has stopped the development of a central depository at Yucca Mountain? n Where is the waste kept now? Is preventing the disposal of waste a 6 smart strategy for stopping nuclear

Chernobyl A graphite reactor without a containment vessel. The reactor itself burned when it melted and created a huge cloud of radioactive particles. 7

Who Pays if there is an Accident? n n Price-Anderson Act n Allows claims, but limits liability of the industry n 1 st $300 m - private insurance n $300 M-$10 B - risk pool n Over $10 B - federal government What would the costs of a big accident include? n How is this like Katrina? 8

The Opposition to Nuclear Power n n Site specific opposition n Mothers for Peace General Opposition n NRDC 9

Fukushima Accident 2011 n n Images Information on the accident: n http: //www. worldnuclear. org/info/fukushima_accident_i nf 129. html 10