I recently posted an two part article listing fifteen reasons that nuclear power was not a good source of low carbon power generation to help with climate change mitigation. Some of these reasons are global and some have to do with the situation in the U.S. Some of the reasons have to do with construction of new reactors and some apply to existing reactors. Some of these reasons have been demonstrated and some are hypothetical. Here are another seven reasons the nuclear power generation should be stopped.
1) Uncertainty in the nuclear industry and aging of the nuclear workforce may signal a shortage of trained technicians to operating nuclear power plants in the not too distant future. Many of the current technicians are reaching retirement age and not enough new students are entering universities to study nuclear technology to fill the retiring generation.
2) The temperature of bodies of water that are used for cooling nuclear power reactors are rising due to climate change. Recently several nuclear power plants have already had to be shut down temporarily because the bodies of water that they drew cooling water from became too warm for cooling purposes. This trend will increase and may render some sources of cooling water permanently useless. This would require that those nuclear reactors be shut down and decommissioned.
3) The level of water in many lakes, rivers and reservoirs is dropping because of droughts. Long term droughts may cause permanently low levels of water. Cooling nuclear reactors requires huge amounts of water. Reactors that draw their water from lakes, rivers and reservoirs with falling water levels may find that there will not be sufficient water to cool the reactors and they will have to be shut down and decommissioned.
4) The manufacture of precision components for nuclear power plants requires a robust and successful global manufacturing infrastructure. The design of nuclear reactors has changed over the decades of nuclear power. It is already difficult and, sometimes impossible, to find replacement for worn components in old reactors. If key companies get out of the business, it will become harder and harder to find the parts necessary to keep power reactors functioning. This will raise the cost and make these reactors less competitive in the energy market.
5) The oceans are losing the oxygen that is necessary to sustain many forms of aquatic life. One form that does not require as much oxygen is jellyfish. The population of jellyfish is expanding rapidly.. Jellyfish can clog cooling water intakes and shut down nuclear power plants. This has already happened several times. More reactors will have to be shut down because of cooling water intake ports clogged by jellyfish.
6) In the U.S., the NRC requires that nuclear power plant operators must show that they are making a profit on a nuclear power plant or they lose their license and the plant has to be shut down. The cost of renewable alternative energy is dropping and nuclear power is becoming less and less competitive in the power marketplace. Without subsidies and tax breaks, more and more plants will have their licenses revoked.
Those who would promote nuclear power for climate change mitigation have not done their homework or are deliberately ignoring many reasons why this is a bad idea.
Jellyfish:
