nuclear power plants

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Nuclear Licensing renewals by the NRC

Enerknol research. (2014, November 14). NRC Resumes Nuclear Power Plant License Renewals. Retrieved December 7, 2014, from http://breakingenergy.com/2014/11/10/nrc-resumes-nuclear-power-plant-license-renewals/

This article published by Breaking Energy written by Enerknol research discusses the future of the US nuclear power plants. They point out how the Nuclear regulatory commision has ended there two year licensing suspension and is now extending the nuclear license renewals. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has concluded that about 74 nuclear power plants will resubmit there renewals papers in 2044-2049. Although they are allowing for nuclear power plant to submit their renewal applications, there is also going to be added criteria into these applications. One of the added criterias is the environmental impacts that the power plant will have, what it will do with the radioactive waste the plant creates, and how much will be spent on nuclear fuel storage. There is currently 17 applications being looked at by the NRC and there are at least 7 more power plants applications expected by 2015.

I believe that the NRC has done a good thing by lifting their application renewal suspension and allowing for these plants to have extra time in submitting their applications. Although they might have given them a little too much time they are still allowing for nuclear power plants to operate here in the US. From the looks of things the US is going to have a successful run with nuclear power and hopefully we develop more efficient way of producing energy without the big environmental impacts and all the radioactive material. One thing the NRC can’t stop doing is checking up on the power plants and making sure they have good security.

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CNN Nuclear Power plants

CNN Library. (2014, August 6). U.S. Nuclear Power Plants. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/us/u-s-nuclear-power-plants/

 In this article the CNN library gives some facts about the nuclear reactors and how they are managed. They stated the the US has 100 licensed commercial nuclear reactors that operate in 31 of the 48 contiguous (touching) states. The US government compiled a commision named The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) whose job is to inspect and help assess all of the threats to the nuclear plants in the country. Out of those 100 reactors 65 of them are pressurized water reactors water the other 35 are boiling water reactors. Since the events in 2001 the US has increased its security at nuclear plants and has limited the entrance of any kind. The NRC had divided the country into 4 regions on which each region contains certain states and each state contains its nuclear plants. For example Region 1, contains 26 reactors in 8 states, region 2, contains 32 reactors in 7 states, and region 3, contains 23 reactors in 6 states, and region 4 contains 19 reactors in 10 states.

I believe that the US has done a good job of maintaining and securing their nuclear power plants, but we could probably do more for this type of energy source. It has been said that the US is trying to distance itself from nuclear power and as of right now the number of nuclear plants will decrease rapidly and the price for electricity will increase because the nuclear plants create about 20 percent of the US’s energy. I also feel that the US has done good by creating the NRC and allowing it to do its job unlike the FDA and other government inspection agencies.