A realistic understanding of their costs and risks is critical.
Even though the Ukrainian nuclear plant Zaporizhzhia's reactors are in shutdown mode, an attack would still be devastating.
Can power grid operators prepare to withstand the dangers of spring's extreme weather?
https://blog.ucsusa.org/paul-arbaje/tornadoes-and-more-what-spring-can-bring-to-the-power-grid/
Unlike Fukushima, which was at the mercy of a natural disaster, an accident at Zaporizhzhia as a result of a wartime attack is entirely preventable.
https://blog.ucsusa.org/edwin-lyman/can-the-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant-avoid-a-major-disaster/
Ukraine and Russia need to establish safe zones around nuclear plants to avoid a catastrophe.
Ukraine and Russia need to establish safe zones around nuclear plants to avoid a catastrophe.
https://blog.ucsusa.org/edwin-lyman/the-ukrainian-nuclear-plant-fire-russia/
Nuclear power proponents have long been prone to wishful thinking. Back in 1954, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Lewis Strauss famously predicted that nuclear-generated electricity would ultima...
https://blog.ucsusa.org/elliott-negin/when-it-comes-to-nuclear-power-advanced-isnt-always-better/
In this moment, California’s electrical grid faces no shortage of challenges. There’s the year-round risk that utility power lines will spark wildfires, and there’s the real possibility tha...
https://blog.ucsusa.org/mark-specht/diablo-canyon-is-shutting-down-is-california-ready/
With the world facing overwhelming and immediate threats from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the risks of nuclear power are probably far from the thoughts of most people. But there is...
https://blog.ucsusa.org/edwin-lyman/nuclear-power-safety-and-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Last November, UCS released Nuclear Power Dilemma, which found that more than one-third of existing nuclear plants, representing 22 percent of total US nuclear capacity, are uneconomic or slated ...
https://blog.ucsusa.org/steve-clemmer/5-reasons-why-hb6-should-be-rejected/
On November 8, UCS released The Nuclear Power Dilemma: Declining Profits, Plant Closures, and the Threat of Rising Carbon Emissions, which found that more than one-third of existing nuclear plant...
The steady parade of ideologically driven appointees for key Trump administration positions has resumed now that things in Washington have settled down after the mid-term elections. Last week,...
The Trump Administration’s proposal is a bad idea predicated on a made-up problem. Here's a better approach.
A new report, The Nuclear Power Dilemma, released today by my UCS colleagues, finds that more than one-third of the nation’s nuclear power fleet – that provides more than 20 percent of the co...
https://blog.ucsusa.org/jeff-deyette/firstenergys-nuclear-bailout-proposal-ohio/
A new UCS report released today found that more than one-third of U.S. nuclear plants–representing 22 percent of total US nuclear capacity–are uneconomic or slated to retire over the next dec...
Nuclear power plants are controversial, for legitimate reasons. But we need to make hard choices.
https://blog.ucsusa.org/ken-kimmell/ucs-nuclear-power-global-warming-report/
Today UCS released a new report entitled The Nuclear Power Dilemma that examines the economic viability and performance of most of the 60 nuclear power plants operating in the United States as of...
https://blog.ucsusa.org/james-gignac/what-the-new-ucs-report-on-nuclear-plants-means-for-illinois/
Nuclear power reactors spilt atoms to release energy used to generate electricity. Many of the byproducts formed when atoms split are unstable (radioactive) and release particles or gamma rays in...
Role of Regulation in Nuclear Plant Safety #11 The Fatal Accident As described in Fission Stories #139 and illustrated in Fission Stories #181, a temporary crane removing a component weighing 5...
https://blog.ucsusa.org/dlochbaum/fatal-accident-at-arkansas-one/
The Clinton Power Station is located 23 miles southeast of Bloomington, Illinois and has one General Electric boiling water reactor with a Mark III containment that began operating in 1987. In De...
In August 2018, Georgia Power announced raised its estimate of the construction costs for its 45.7% share of the two new reactors being constructed at the Vogtle nuclear plant by $1.1 billion fro...
https://blog.ucsusa.org/dlochbaum/vogtle-and-hatch-safety-performance/
Role of Regulation in Nuclear Plant Safety #10 The Crystal River 3 pressurized water reactor in Florida was shut down in September 2009 for refueling. During the refueling outage, the original st...
https://blog.ucsusa.org/dlochbaum/breaking-containment-at-crystal-river-3/
Role of Regulation in Nuclear Plant Safety 9 The Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Delta, Pennsylvania is known for its tireless workers. They stop working long before getting tired and nap wh...
https://blog.ucsusa.org/dlochbaum/naughty-and-nice-nuclear-nappers/
Role of Regulation in Nuclear Plant Safety #8 In the mid-1960s, the nuclear safety regulator raised concerns about the reliability of the system relied upon to protect the public in event of a re...
https://blog.ucsusa.org/dlochbaum/anticipated-transient-without-scram/