NUCLEAR ENERGY CURRENTLY
PROVIDES A LITTLE MORE THAN
20 PERCENT OF THE ELECTRIC POWER
IN THE UNITED STATES.
INDUSTRY EXPERTS PREDICT
THAT NUMBER WILL GROW,
DESPITE SERIOUS DRAWBACKS LIKE
THE THREAT OF NUCLEAR MELTDOWNS
AND THE STORAGE OF
RADIOACTIVE WASTE.
>> NUCLEAR FUEL IS CHEAPER
THAN ANY OTHER KIND OF FUEL
THAT WE USE FOR LARGE-SCALE
GENERATION IN THIS COUNTRY;
IT'S CHEAPER THAN ANY FUEL THAT
WE CAN CONCEIVE OF AT THIS TIME.
>> URANIUM, THE RAW RESOURCE
USED TO PRODUCE NUCLEAR POWER,
IS RELATIVELY ABUNDANT.
SO IT'S CHEAP, ABUNDANT,
AND DOESN'T CONTRIBUTE
GREENHOUSE GASSES.
SAFETY CONCERNS, THEN,
ARE THE MOST SERIOUS THREAT
TO THE FUTURE GROWTH
OF NUCLEAR POWER.
WITH IMAGES OF NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS
AT TSCHERNOBYL AND
THREE MILE ISLAND
PLANTED IN THE PUBLIC'S MIND,
THE INDUSTRY MUST CONVINCE
PEOPLE THAT NUCLEAR POWER
IS SAFE AS WELL AS CLEAN.
FUTURE GENERATIONS
OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
COULD HELP ALLEVIATE CONCERNS.
>> AS WE LOOK AT THE
NEW DESIGNS IN THE FUTURE,
THEY'RE GOING TO BE
SIMPLER AND SAFER,
MORE RELIABLE,
AND MORE COMPETITIVE,
SO WE CAN GET THE BENEFITS OF
NO EMISSIONS AT A BETTER PRICE.
>> NEW REACTORS COULD ELIMINATE
THE THREAT OF A MELTDOWN,
BUT THEY DON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM
OF RADIOACTIVE NUCLEAR WASTE.
>> WHAT WILL WE DO
WITH THE WASTE?
WE WON'T BURY IT AND LEAVE IT
THERE FOR 250,000 YEARS.
MY GUESS IS THAT
WITHIN A HUNDRED YEARS,
WE'LL HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO
DISPOSE OF THAT IN SAFE WAYS.
>> SO WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO
NUCLEAR POWER AS
A RESOURCE FOR THE FUTURE?
