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(Created page with "= Nuclear Power Reconsidered = After decades of failure to slow the rising global consumption of coal, oil and gas,<ref name=GlobalEnergyGrowth /> influential public figures including Bill Gates and Elon Musk have stated that the world needs to have '''nuclear power reconsidered'''.<ref name=PublicFigures /> Newer, innovative designs for nuclear reactors could provide the low-carbon, reliable, dispatchable<ref name=LoadFollowing /> en...")
 
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= Nuclear Power Reconsidered =
= Nuclear Power Reconsidered =
After decades of failure to slow the rising global consumption of [[Fossil_fuel|coal, oil and gas]],<ref name=GlobalEnergyGrowth /> influential public figures including Bill Gates and Elon Musk have stated that the world needs to have '''nuclear power reconsidered'''.<ref name=PublicFigures /> Newer, innovative designs for [[Nuclear reactor|nuclear reactors]] could provide the low-carbon, reliable, dispatchable<ref name=LoadFollowing /> energy needed
After decades of failure in our attempts to slow the rising global consumption of [[Fossil_fuel|coal, oil and gas]],<ref name=GlobalEnergyGrowth /> influential public figures, including Bill Gates and Elon Musk, have concluded that the world needs to '''reconsider nuclear power''' as a means to end the burning of fossil fuels.<ref name=PublicFigures /> Wind and solar power alone, without a breakthrough in [[Energy_storage|storage technology]] for these intermittent sources, are unlikely to meet the world's needs for reliable energy.<ref name=StoringPower1 /><ref name=StoringPower2 /><ref name=StoringPower3 /> See Figures 1 and 2 on the magnitude of the world energy challenge.
for a zero-carbon future. Wind and solar alone cannot meet the world's needs for carbon-free energy without a breakthrough in technology to [[Energy_storage|store energy]] from these intermittent sources.<ref name=StoringPower1 /><ref name=StoringPower2 /><ref name=StoringPower3 /> See Figures 1 and 2 on the magnitude of the world energy challenge.
 
Nuclear power could provide the abundant, zero-carbon, dispatchable<ref name=LoadFollowing /> energy needed for a low-carbon future, but not by simply building more of what we already have. New innovative designs for [[Nuclear reactor|nuclear reactors]] are needed to avoid the problems of the past.
 
{{Image|World Electric Power.png|right|350px|Fig.1 Electricity consumption may soon double, mostly from coal-fired power plants in the developing world.<ref name=GordianKnotFig1.3 />}}
{{Image|World Electric Power.png|right|350px|Fig.1 Electricity consumption may soon double, mostly from coal-fired power plants in the developing world.<ref name=GordianKnotFig1.3 />}}
{{Image|Energy US 2020.png|right|350px|Fig.2 Electricity is only one third of the CO2 problem. Other big needs include low-cost high-temperature process heat for industry <ref name=Fig2imageA /> and fuels for the transportation sector.<ref name=Fig2imageB />}}
{{Image|Energy US 2020.png|right|350px|Fig.2 Electricity is only one third of the CO2 problem. Other big needs include low-cost high-temperature process heat for industry <ref name=Fig2imageA /> and fuels for the transportation sector.<ref name=Fig2imageB />}}


electricity to the grid regardless of weather.
electricity to the grid regardless of weather.


, and while nuclear fuel is not renewable, nuclear power generation produces little air pollution as compared with coal, oil or gas. Demand for electricity is high and still increasing, and wind and solar generators will not be able to meet the demand.  Meeting the world's needs for reliable carbon-free electricity generation could require thousands of nuclear plants, or perhaps a breakthrough in technology to [[Energy_storage|store energy]] from wind and solar.<ref name=StoringPower1 /><ref name=StoringPower2 /><ref name=StoringPower3 /> See Figs. 1 and 2 on the magnitude of the world energy challenge.
, and while nuclear fuel is not renewable, nuclear power generation produces little air pollution as compared with coal, oil or gas. Demand for electricity is high and still increasing, and wind and solar generators will not be able to meet the demand.  Meeting the world's needs for reliable carbon-free electricity generation could require thousands of nuclear plants, or perhaps a breakthrough in technology to [[Energy_storage|store energy]] from wind and solar.<ref name=StoringPower1 /><ref name=StoringPower2 /><ref name=StoringPower3 />

Revision as of 22:13, 8 January 2023

Nuclear Power Reconsidered

After decades of failure in our attempts to slow the rising global consumption of coal, oil and gas,[1] influential public figures, including Bill Gates and Elon Musk, have concluded that the world needs to reconsider nuclear power as a means to end the burning of fossil fuels.[2] Wind and solar power alone, without a breakthrough in storage technology for these intermittent sources, are unlikely to meet the world's needs for reliable energy.[3][4][5] See Figures 1 and 2 on the magnitude of the world energy challenge.

Nuclear power could provide the abundant, zero-carbon, dispatchable[6] energy needed for a low-carbon future, but not by simply building more of what we already have. New innovative designs for nuclear reactors are needed to avoid the problems of the past.

(CC) Image: Geoff Russell
Fig.1 Electricity consumption may soon double, mostly from coal-fired power plants in the developing world.[7]
© Image: Lawrence Livermore Lab
Fig.2 Electricity is only one third of the CO2 problem. Other big needs include low-cost high-temperature process heat for industry [8] and fuels for the transportation sector.[9]


electricity to the grid regardless of weather.

, and while nuclear fuel is not renewable, nuclear power generation produces little air pollution as compared with coal, oil or gas. Demand for electricity is high and still increasing, and wind and solar generators will not be able to meet the demand. Meeting the world's needs for reliable carbon-free electricity generation could require thousands of nuclear plants, or perhaps a breakthrough in technology to store energy from wind and solar.[3][4][5]

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GlobalEnergyGrowth
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PublicFigures
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named StoringPower1
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named StoringPower2
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named StoringPower3
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named LoadFollowing
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GordianKnotFig1.3
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Fig2imageA
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Fig2imageB
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