The Power of the Future?

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Three Mile Island
Nuclear Power is arguably the best alternative energy source that we have today.  This site discusses the good, the bad and the ugly of nuclear power and can hopefully contribute to a better understanding of this misunderstood energy resource.  As we all know, nuclear power has been critiqued in recent decades and has undergone some major setbacks.  However, in recent years, nuclear power has got back on its feet and begun making strides towards the future.

             
Nuclear power has many different technical challenges due to the fact that harnessing the power is a very complex process.  We have all heard of disasters such as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, which seemed to have put a black mark on nuclear power in the past.  Many people were scared because they heard about the harms of radiation and knew the destruction that it could cause.  These disasters can be traced back to the equipment and processes of nuclear power.  Since these events, more rules and regulations have been set in order to maintain a safer working environment and a safer community.

               
Along with these technical challenges, nuclear power has many political, social and economic challenges to overcome.  Due to the incidents mentioned, many people have developed a fear toward nuclear power which has slowed the industry from expanding.  Among all other setbacks, nuclear power plants carry a very heavy price tag.  An example would be the 8 billion dollars spent on four reactors that are now being built in China.  The industry is trying to resolve these problems by developing more cost efficient technology to use in the power plants.  Today nuclear power is making large strides to becoming a more clean and efficient source of power and hopefully satisfy our needs for an alternative energy source.

~Cullen Kirkpatrick