Santora, Marc. “The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Returns to Relying on Generators after Shelling.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/03/world/europe/zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant-blackout.html.

Russia is currently occupying Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant, endangering the entire region. Russian shelling has cut off power lines running to the plant, putting the reactor at risk of a nuclear accident. Furthermore, the Russian occupation of the plant has endangered personnel on-site, who are allegedly being coerced to sign contracts with the Russian state nuclear energy company. Conditions in the region have worsened and international inspectors are warning of the potential for a disaster.

I think this exemplifies the terror nuclear power has the potential to incite and the need to protect nuclear power plants from outside threats. Unlike other energy sources, nuclear power plants have the unique potential to be weaponized by outside agents to incite terror, requiring their operators to invest in costly protection measures. This raises the cost of nuclear energy and further limits its reach. Ultimately, I think this just goes to show why continued investment in new reactor technologies is necessary in order to develop a safer, lower-cost power technology that can be widely deployed.