Alright.. let's take a look at the positive case being made by the Nuclear Energy Institute:
nei.org
Excerpts:
"America’s digitally driven economy is expected to increase electricity demand by 30 to 35 percent by 2010. A portion of that new capacity must be nuclear energy if the country is to meet clear air requirements and avoid overdependence on natural gas and other fuels that have potential for volatile price swings."
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"Nuclear Plant Longevity. In the United States, nuclear plants are licensed to operate for 40 years with the opportunity to renew for an additional 20. The average age of the 103 commercial nuclear power plants operating in this country is only 18 years. Indications are that a substantial number will apply for license renewal.
To date, the owners of about one-third of the nation’s 103 nuclear power plants are expected to apply for license renewals by the year 2003 and more are anticipated to follow."
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"Many countries depend on nuclear energy for much of their electricity generation—in 1998, for instance, Lithuania, 77 percent; France, 76 percent; Belgium, 55 percent; Sweden, 46 percent; Ukraine, 45 percent; Korea, 41 percent; and Japan, 36 percent. In 1998, four new plants started generating electricity, 36 were still being built, and four new units began construction. Fuel fabrication and enrichment is a robust international industry.
Sixty percent of the fuel fabrication capacity is overseas and vendors outside of the United States meet two-thirds of the world' s uranium fuel enrichment needs". |
