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

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

3. 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

4. Nuclear Power in the U.S.

5. 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

6. 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)

7. Nuclear Power Is… Reliable

8. Nuclear Power Is… Environmentally Responsible

9. 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

13. 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.”

14. Pandora’s Promise
Follow five environmentalists on their journey to becoming nuclear advocates

15. Nuclear Power Is… Safe
Energy Source Mortality Rate (deaths per trillion kWh)
Coal – global average ,000 (41% of global electricity)
Coal – China ,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

16. Nuclear Power Is… Safe

17. http://www. healthyenergyinitiative

18. Next Gen – Our Safest Reactors Ever!

19. Nuclear Waste
What is it?

20. 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.

21. Nuclear Waste - Options
Wet storage
Dry storage
Reprocessing
Geological Disposal

22. 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

23. 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

24. How Long Should We Store Waste?

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

26. The Netherlands

27. Nuclear Waste - Transportation

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

29. If you want to get involved
Atomic Action App