February 19, 2013
The Heritage Foundation’s documentary, “Powering America,” highlights the advantages of nuclear energy and why it is one of the safest forms of energy production. The film tells the story of nuclear energy in America and and the people who have benefited from it.
After premiering last year on the Documentary Channel, “Powering America” is now available online from leading providers. Watch online today:
Do you think nuclear energy has a role in America? Tell us in the comments.
Katie Nielsen - February 19, 2013 Mr. Ruch,
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Katie Nielsen
I think we have incredible energy resources available to us including nuclear. In 1976, in his book A Time for Truth, Wm. E. Simon wrote: “In addition, Carter sought to ban America’s single most reliable long-range energy insurance policy, the liquid metal fast-breeder reactor. By that action, the Administration was actually refusing to use 200,000 tons of uranium 238 that are now being stored in steel boxes at Oak Ridge, Tenn., and elsewhere – the depleted uranium that remains after it’s fissionable isotope U-235 has been extracted. Petr Beckmann, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Colorado and editor of Access to Energy, clearly explained the meaning of this refusal: ‘The total amount of energy available from these reserves represents a staggering 140,000 quads, or about 1750 years of energy at the present rate of consumption’.” My question is where did all this go? Or is it still available? Mr. Simon further stated in his book that at 1973 levels of consumption we had about an 800 year supply of coal available. Of course coal consumption has dropped dramatically since 1973 although extraction methods have improved and so one wonders how many hundreds of years supply we now have? Considering the news coming from OSU recently regarding new methods of unleashing the energy in coal without actually burning it we may have incredible potential energy in this resource alone. Combining nuclear and coal potential with the impact of fracking on natural gas production plus the never ending discovery of new reserves in oil and increased efficiency in tapping those reserves it seems to me we have an unprecedented amount of energy available to us. These four sources of energy alone: nuclear, coal, natural gas and oil, could provide more than enough energy for our economy (without deprivation, rationing or sacrifice) for the future. They could also guarantee our position as a net energy exporter for a very long time to come.
Mr. Thompson
You hit the nail on the head with your comment! As a young structural engineer I spent part of my early years working on power plant modifications for up-grading coal
fired plants to meet new EPA requirements. Back then I couldn’t picture the day when they would be shutting them down because of the good ole EPA would go crazy with regs.I was never directly involved in the nuclear end of power plant design but I learned enough from other engineers who were to believe it was the way to go in the future, this back in the early ’70s.
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Ed Ruch - February 19, 2013
Today, a lady from the Heritage Foundation called me and encouraged me to sign up for The Morning Bell weekly commentary on the news. She said that I could sign up on this website myheritage.org. But I found no way to do that. Please advise. Thank you