Nuclear Power – Energy for the Future Brittany Williamson, P.E. 2018 SSNI

Nuclear Power Is… Reliable Environmentally Responsible Safe But what about the waste?

Nuclear Power in the U.S. 99 reactors at 64 locations ~20% of the nation’s electric energy generation US reactors produce the most electric energy in world No nuclear power plants have been started and completed since Three Mile Island Watts Bar 2 came online in 2016 but construction started before Three Mile Island accident Vogtle 3 and 4 under construction

Nuclear Power in the U.S.

Nuclear Power in SC & GA South Carolina Georgia 58% of electricity generation 4 nuclear power plants Catawba (York, SC) – 2 units H.B. Robinson (Hartsville, SC) – 1 unit Oconee (Seneca, SC) – 3 units V.C. Summer (Columbia, SC) – 1 unit Georgia 26% of electricity generation 2 nuclear power plants Vogtle (Augusta, GA) – 2 units Hatch (Baxley, GA) – 2 units Source: Nuclear Energy Institute

Nuclear Power Worldwide 450 commercial power reactors in 31 countries 11% of the world’s electricity Civilian nuclear power can now boast over 16,000 reactor years of experience France has the highest % nuclear at 72% (58 reactors) Other top nuclear countries are China, Russia, South Korea and Canada China has 38 operating reactors and 20 more under construction Source: World Nuclear Organization Older presentation (2013), said 326 commercial power reactors in 30 countries Older presentation (2015), said 435 commercial power reactors in 31 countries New data found from 2016 (updated 6-18 by JCM) http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Current-and-Future-Generation/ http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/safety-of-nuclear-power-reactors/ http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx

Nuclear Power Is… Reliable

Nuclear Power Is… Environmentally Responsible

Nuclear Power Is… Environmentally Responsible Wind Solar Capacity Factor >90% 35% 25% Land Use (per 1,800 MW) 1.7 square miles 570 square miles 93 square miles Cost 2 cents/kWh 12 cents/kWh 10-14 cents/kWh http://www.entergy-arkansas.com/content/news/docs/AR_Nuclear_One_Land_Use.pd

Nuclear Power Is… Environmentally Responsible Patrick Moore, one of the founders of Greenpeace, is now a nuclear advocate “Imagine if the ratio of coal to nuclear were reversed so that only 20 percent of our electricity was generated from coal and 60 percent from nuclear. This would go a long way toward cleaning the air and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Every responsible environmentalist should support a move in that direction.”

Pandora’s Promise Follow five environmentalists on their journey to becoming nuclear advocates https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDw3ET3zqxk

Nuclear Power Is… Safe Energy Source Mortality Rate (deaths per trillion kWh) Coal – global average 100,000 (41% of global electricity) Coal – China 170,000 (75% of China’s electricity) Coal – U.S. 10,000 (30% of U.S. electricity) Oil – global average 36,000 (33% of global energy, 4% of global electricity) Natural Gas – global avg. 4,000 (22% of global electricity) Biofuel/Biomass – global avg. 24,000 (21% of global energy) Solar – global average 440 (<1% of global electricity) Wind – global average 150 (2% of global electricity) Hydro – global average 1,400 (16% of global electricity) Hydro – U.S. 5 (6% of U.S. electricity) Nuclear – global average 90 (10% of global electricity w/ Chernobyl & Fukushima) Nuclear – U.S. 0.1 (20% of U.S. electricity) Sources –World Health Organization; CDC; 1970 – 2011 http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Safety-of-Nuclear-Power-Reactors/

Nuclear Power Is… Safe http://environmentalprogress.org/health-and-safety/

http://www. healthyenergyinitiative http://www.healthyenergyinitiative.org/global-iea-report-small-increase-in-energy-investment-could-halve-air-pollution-deaths-by-2040/

Next Gen – Our Safest Reactors Ever!

Nuclear Waste What is it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUvvIzH2W6g

Nuclear Waste During the nuclear reaction inside a reactor, the fissile isotopes in nuclear fuel are consumed, producing “fission products” most of which are considered radioactive waste. Over about 18 months, the buildup of fission products and consumption of fissile isotopes eventually stops the nuclear reaction. The fuel is then considered spent or used fuel. 97 % of spent fuel is still usable as a fuel. Only 3% of the spent fuel is made up of fission products (waste). Spent fuel is stored in spent fuel pools in order to cool following removal from the reactor core. The fuel can be stored in dry storage casks after a few years.

Nuclear Waste - Options Wet storage Dry storage Reprocessing Geological Disposal

Nuclear Fuel Recycling The separation of used nuclear fuel into potentially useful product materials and waste. Can be a combination of mechanical, chemical and physical processes Primary motivation Conservation of natural resources Waste management

Nuclear Waste – Yucca Mountain Nevada Test Site, ~80 miles NW of Las Vegas 20 years of science experiments “The Most Studied Real Estate on the Planet” Stringent dose requirements 2001 – EPA set dose limit at 15 mrem/year for 10,000 years 2004 – court says 10,000 years isn’t long enough 2009 – EPA set dose limit at 15 mrem/year for 10,000 years & 100 mrem/year for 1,000,000 years Analysis shows dose <1 mrem/year out through 1,000,000 years

How Long Should We Store Waste? http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Nuclear-Wastes/Radioactive-Waste-Management/

What Other Countries Do Canada Finland South Korea Spain Sweden Direct Disposal Belgium China France Germany India Japan Switzerland The Netherlands United Kingdom Reprocessing

The Netherlands http://www.covra.nl/about-covra

Nuclear Waste - Transportation https://youtu.be/Bu1YFshFuI4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HniVgmy3C80 https://youtu.be/Bu1YFshFuI4 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f87_1374771054 http://ansnuclearcafe.org/2013/09/27/nuclear-matinee-missile-v-cask/

Nuclear Power Is… Reliable Environmentally Responsible Safe Remember: The waste issue is not a technical issue.

If you want to get involved Atomic Action App https://www.generationatomic.org/