Nuclear Power

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Nuclear Power
Isar Plant - Germany
Diablo Canyon - California
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Nuclear Power The facts

• Nuclear power - like wind, hydro and solar energy
  - emits no carbon dioxide
• Proven technology with base-load electrical power
  production capacity gt1,000MW/plant
• Used worldwide good safety track record despite
  TMI and Chernobyl
• Much safer than coal-fired power both from an
  industrial (mining) and public health perspective
• There are significant issues
• Environmental impacts, costs, aging plants, waste
  disposal, nuclear proliferation, security, and
  public safety perceptions

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Nuclear Power Projections

• More nuclear plants may be needed to meet growing
  electric power demand
• International Energy Agency estimates renewable
  plants will only reach 6 of worldwide supply
  capacity by 2030
• Population increase from 6.5B to 9B by 2100
• Standard of living rising across the globe with
  higher electrical demand will double by 2050
• Nuclear energy production likely to continue to
  grow globally especially in light of controls
  being placed on carbon emissions

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Nuclear Worldwide

• 2007 439 commercial reactors in 30 countries
  372,000 MW
• Efficiency improving in both design operation
• Newer plants more efficient gt1,000 MW capacity
• Nuclear reactors currently supply 16 worlds
  power
• 2,625 billion KWH in 2005 30 produced in
  the US

US 2005 total 97,400MW cap. 782 billion
KWH
As of 2001
Source World Nuclear Association
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How does it compare?
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Nuclear Power - How it works
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Uranium Mining
McArthur River Mine Canada

• Canada (25), Australia (19), Kazakhstan (16)
  are worlds largest uranium ore producers (U.S.
  4)
• Removal methods
• Underground 41
• Open pit 24
• In situ leach (ISL) 26
• By-product 9
• Environmental Health Risks
• Land use impacts
• Waste impacts
• Operational risks
• Health risks

Highland ISL Mine, Wyoming
Source World Nuclear Association
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Nuclear Fuel Cycle

• Each fuel pellet energy of 150 gallons of oil
• Pellets encased in metal tubes bundled into a
  fuel assembly
• Spent fuel is a hazardous radioactive waste
• US No pathway to disposal spent fuel is stored
  in pools or casks at power plant sites
• Proposed U.S. disposal site Yucca Mountain,
  Nevada dropped 2/09
• Other countries reprocess fuel to remove Pu-238
  to use as fuel (closed fuel cycle) more
  efficient, creates less waste, but increases
  nuclear proliferation risks

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U.S. Nuclear Power
ENW Columbia Generating Station 1250 MW Hanford,
WA

• U.S. worlds largest supplier of nuclear power
• Nuclear power accounts for 20 of the electrical
  power generated in the U.S.
• Currently, there are 66 power plants consisting
  of 104 operating nuclear reactors
• 787 Billion KWhs electricity produced in 2006
• No new licenses since TMI accident (1979)
• NRC has accepted applications for 11 new units
  and are expecting applications for up to 33 new
  units by 2010
• Current plants avoids 700 million metric tons of
  carbon emissions annually vs. fossil fuel plants

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Its Expensive - The Real Costs

• Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides significant
  cost benefits to nuclear industry
• Tax credits up to 125 million for 8 years
• Loan guarantees up to 80 of plant costs
  initially limited to 2 billion fund but industry
  lobbying to expand to 50 billion
• Federal insurance against regulatory delays
• Other subsidies include local tax incentives and
  limits on liability for accidents
• Costs of decommissioning contaminated plants and
  waste disposal are not reflected in cost
  projections for new plants
• Long history of significant cost increases and
  overruns in nuclear power plant construction

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Zero Carbon Construction Costs
McNeil Biomass Plant Burlington, VT
50 MW, 67M
South Korean Uldolmok Tidal Plant 1MW, 9.9M
1,000X
20X
BEST BUY
Nuclear Plant 1,000 MWe 5B to 9B
5X
Big Horn 200 MW 11,000 Acres, 130M Klicitat
County, WA
6.7X
Kramer Junction CA Solar Trough, 150 MW, 1000
acres, 750M
Does not include waste disposal decommissioning
100X
25X
Waldpolenz Germany 250 acres, 40MW, 185M
PS-10 Solar Tower Spain 10 MW, 150 acres, 28M
New 1000 MW Coal Plant 4B
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How do we meet growing energy demands and reduce
CO2 emissions?

• 1 - Increase efficiency and reduce use
• we cant continue increasing demand without
  consequences (the cheapest plant is the one we
  dont build!)
• Government needs to favor the most promising
  options to reduce carbon emissions
• Revisit our current subsidy strategies
• Increasing investment and deployment of renewable
  power plants will increase cost competitiveness
• Europe is making major investments to transition
  to 20 renewable power by 2020
• Many current nuclear plants are operating beyond
  their original design life
• How long can they operate and how will we replace
  the 20 of our power they produce? Build more?
• Wealthy nations must help developing nations
  build low (or zero) emissions power production

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What do you think?
Where do we go from here? How do we keep our
planet habitable?
Design the power infrastructure for your own city
make the decisions and compare the results
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