The need to find new ways to produce energy is a very prevalent topic in the news today, with global warming a major concern as well. Because of that, fossil fuels are very unpopular, given their nonrenewable status and their contributions to pollution. Where can we turn for our power needs, though? Experts debate this problem often, with “green energy” also a hot topic of conversation these days. However, when most of us think of “green energy,” we usually think of energy sources that are renewable like solar, wind or geothermal energy.

However, nuclear energy is a renewable energy source as well, and it’s what many people don’t think of. One of the reasons for that is probably because the thought of nuclear energy makes people nervous. We have visions of nuclear accidents or catastrophe, such as those that happened at Chernobyl or Three Mile Island, but that’s not reality, for the most part. When it’s managed properly, nuclear power is very environmentally friendly, and can produce very clean power so that we can meet our energy needs with little trouble.

At present, the US has 104 commercial nuclear power plants, with these power plants providing about 20% of total US electric usage. By contrast, about 50% of the US’ electricity needs is provided by 614 coal plants. Lest you think the coal plants are a better idea, though, you should know that they contribute significantly to the already severe problems with global warming and pollution. They constantly release carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the air.

Burning coal has its obvious drawbacks, of course, but getting that coal is also very harmful to the environment. Coal mining is a dangerous and dirty practice for those in the industry, and both burning and mining coal significantly shortens the lifespans of those who work in coal mining or are exposed to it as pollution.

How is nuclear energy beneficial as compared to other renewable energy sources? Certainly, wind and solar power are good ways to generate electricity, as are other renewable energy sources. However, these sources are not built into the infrastructure and cannot be made cost effective, as things are. Certainly, many people use solar panels on their roofs, as one example, and that number is growing. Still, only about 0.03% of the US’ energy needs is generated by solar power. It will take a lot of money, time and effort to make solar energy the clean energy producing giant that nuclear power could be right now. And, energy needs could be addressed with nuclear power without having to generate carbon emissions or other pollutants.

It is somewhat polluting to construct nuclear power plants, but once constructed, the energy they produce is completely clean. This clean energy source is absolutely necessary so that we can meet our energy demands, which are only going to grow. That’s true even though many of us, of course, are focused on reducing personal energy consumption as much as is possible. It’s simply a fact, no matter how you slice it, that our need for energy in this modern life is going to grow regardless.

One of the most popular topics of conversation when it comes to saving the environment from pollutants’ detrimental effects is the electric car. And while the electric car could certainly produce transportation that’s completely emission free and clean, that’s only going to be true if the electricity those cars run on comes from clean sources, too. If that electricity is produced from polluting fossil fuels like coal, any benefits are basically negated.

By 2030, the US should have, by many projections, 25 to 30 nuclear power plants just to have nuclear energy remain at 20% as an energy producer, as it is today. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions as experts say needs to happen, the US will need to build 187 power plants by 2050. And that means that indeed, the US does need to expand its nuclear power capacity, to meet the US’ growing energy needs without negatively impacting the environment further.

About the author: Jerry Dyess has been involved in the Texas Energy market segment for the past 7 years. He has published many articles on Texas Power rates.

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