I feel bad for these countries that are trying to build nuclear power plants. All they really want to do is get out from under the yoke of OPEC and the Carlyle Group. They need power for industrialization. But our current administration's knee jerk reaction is to accuse them of building bombs.
If we had continued to build nuclear power plants at the same rate we were building them in the 70's and 80's, we would have electricity for a few pennies each month.
Well, I did ask, didn't I?
And boy did I get an answer. Several.
Let's see if I can summarize some of it...
The Bad
• Nuclear power generates waste. For every year a reactor operates, it generates two car-sized wads of waste. This has to be disposed of, and the current location is Yucca Mountain.
• Uranium is not an infinite resource. Current reserves (which include estimated mine yield as well as stockpiles - thanks, RedDan) will only last for 50 years. If we begin building more reactors, we'll have to open up more mines or begin mining uranium from the ocean water, which has its own problems.
• Reactors are expensive to build and require government subsidies.
The Good
• Nuclear reactor designs are being improved. They haven't gotten any cheaper, but they're a heck of a lot safer, and require very little manpower to operate, compared to the old designs. Something to note is that building a coal power plant is equivalent to building a nuclear power plant. Operating costs of a nuclear reactor are almost zero.
• Vitrification techniques are being developed to contain the waste, and plants currently produce 1000 tons of vitrified waste in the UK, Belgium and France.
• While uranium is still a depletable resource, the waste currently being stored in Yucca Mt. could conceivably be reprocessed and used again in more efficient reactors in the future.
Plan9 posted a link to New Reactor Designs (http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/analysis/nucenviss2.html) which I think is worth a look. Most interesting is the bit at the bottom which talks about the generation of new designs being proposed.
"The U.S. Department of Energy participates in the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), an association of twelve nations that seek to develop a new generation of commercial nuclear reactor designs before 2030. Criteria for inclusion of a reactor design for consideration by the GIF group include:
1. Sustainable energy (extended fuel availability, positive environmental impact)
2. Competitive energy (low costs, short construction times)
3. Safe and reliable systems (inherent safety features, public confidence in nuclear energy safety)
4. Proliferation resistance (does not add unduly to unsecured nuclear material) and physical protection; (secure from terrorist attacks)"
However...
The uranium will still run out eventually. The waste will still pile up. We can reprocess and recycle the waste, but then we'll have to get rid of that too.
Mataliandy pointed out that we need to think more efficiently. Replace regular bulbs with fluorescents, set your thermostat to a certain temperature (I have mine set for 75 degrees in the summer, and 70 in the winter) and insulate your home to prevent heat or cold loss.
This won't solve our long-term energy crisis, but it will give us more time to think about it.