Green WaysTo PowerThe Country And Economy (NAPSA_—As the Obama administration calls for cutting 80 percent of U.S. greenhouse emissions by 2050, a numberof experts say the question has shifted from “why nuclear power”to “when.” Nuclear plants are the biggest providers of energy that don’t produce any greenhouse gases. And as the arguments for nuclear energy—its outstanding safety record, environmental advantages, affordability and reliability—continue to grow, policy makers are eyeing nuclear for an additional benefit: It could power the economy. In 2008, the nuclear industry estimated that it created 9,000 new jobs—from construction and parts manufacturing to plant workers. And since President Obamacalled for a $150 billion, 10-year effort to help build a “clean-energy” future, 17 applicants have sought government approval to build 26 new nuclear plants. Nuclear proponents are further encouraged by the appointment of Steven Chu to head the Department of Energy. Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, has expressed a commitment to the construction of new nuclear power plants and supportsaccelerating a government loan program to help speed theefforts. Just as important, Chu is in favor of finding new ways to process and safely handle spent nuclear fuel. “I think [nuclear fuel] recycling can be part of the solution,” he told the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. “This is a research problem.” Current U.S. solutions for nuclear-waste disposal involve “dry-cask storage,” a method where wasteis sealed in high-tech containers kept at nuclear plants. In 2008, the nuclear industry esti- mated that it created 9,000 new jobs. Other countries such as Japan and France reuse spent nuclear fuel. France gets almost 80 per- cent of its electricity from nuclear energy. Nuclear power produces about one-fifth of U.S. electricity. Clean Supply, Growing Demand The U.S. Department of Ener- gy estimates that demandfor electricity will increase 50 percent over the next 20 years. America will need to build between 1,300 and 1,900 new power plants by 2020, which will require explo- ration of the pros and consofall sources of power, including the latest nuclear technology. According to Entergy, a company actively working to develop policies that address global climate change, nuclear energy is the only available method for generating large-scale volumes of electricity without emitting any greenhouse gases, air pollutants or precursorsof acid rain. The companyhasstated a goal of reducing its own carbon emission to 20 percent below its 2000 level by the endof this decade. As more companies follow suit, America is expected to join countries around the world, including England and Canada, as it looks to nuclear power for clean, safe energy.
