THE GLOBAL USE OF PEACEFUL NUCLEAR ENERGY

Abstract

Since the mid-1980s, nuclear power has been a major source of electricity in the United States, second only to coal. Yet the future of nuclear power in the US and the rest of the world is uncertain. Although the US has the most nuclear capacity of any nation, the U.S. Department of Energy predicts that the use of nuclear fuel will have dropped dramatically by 2030, by which time more than 40% of capacity will have been retired. The Bush Administration has supported nuclear expansion, emphasizing its importance in maintaining a diverse energy supply, but currently the US has no plans to build additional reactors on its soil. Many fear nuclear energy, fueled by accidents such as those at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island and concern about disposal of nuclear fuel.