The Benefits Of Nuclear Energy

The United States has been a world leader in the energy industry since the Industrial Revolution and have fostered the creation of many new forms of energy since then. The recent evaluation of global climate change by environmentalists has pushed the energy sector to a corner. They have called for more "clean" energy sources (ones that release little to no greenhouse gases into the atmosphere) to replace the aging coal, oil, and natural gas power plants. Some examples of these clean energy sources are hydroelectric, wind, solar, and nuclear. Due to its effectiveness and benefit to the environment, nuclear energy is the most reliable source of energy for the future of the United States.

Climate change, a real threat to the entire world, has become a foreground to many leaders in our country, leading some to even …show more content…
A lot of budgets underestimate, such as when the Monticello Nuclear Plant "upgrades cost a fraction of the price of building a new plant, but still blew past initial cost calculations" (Scherer 2). However, there are multiple sources that show that, in the end, nuclear is cheaper than solar. One example hits close to home, claiming that "The Vogtle nuclear plants coming online near Atlanta generate a kilowatt of power at half the cost of Crescent Dunes Solar Facility" (Trembath 4). Therefore, it seems very logical to use nuclear because it provides the most effectiveness for the financial cost. Another cost outside of finance is that nuclear power plants are catastrophic if they meltdown, leaving whole entire areas radioactive and uninhabitable. Terrorists could use this fact to make them a prime target, and it could be a reason that "America is deterred by terrorism" inside of the Syrian refugee movement (Syrian refugees 3). With proper security and personnel, which our country most certainly has, the threat of nuclear terrorism happening becomes minimal to