Nuclear Energy - How Nuclear Energy Works, Domestic Nuclear Energy Production, Outlook For Domestic Nuclear Energy, International Production

Nuclear energy is used in the United States to generate electricity and to power some navy ships. In the decades since the first commercial nuclear reactor went into operation in 1956, the nuclear power industry has had a difficult time persuading the American public of the safety of its enterprise. In the early 1970s most Americans favored the use of nuclear power because it appeared to provide cleaner, more efficient, energy than fossil fuels, and it could help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy sources. But by the early 2000s many people in the United States—and, indeed, around the world—opposed building additional nuclear power plants. The 1979 disaster at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and the 1986 catastrophe at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union greatly increased public concerns about the safety of nuclear power, as have reports of design flaws, cracks, and leaks in other reactors. Furthermore, the safe disposal of radioactive waste, which is a by-product of nuclear energy, has proven difficult.

Supporters of nuclear power believe that it is as safe as any other form of energy production if monitored correctly. They point to growing concerns about fossil fuel use, including global warming and acid rain, as well as damage caused by mining and transporting fossil fuels. In fact, this growing concern over fossil fuels has led a small number of environmentalists who had previously opposed nuclear power to reconsider their position. Nonetheless, environmental, safety, and economic concerns have restrained growth in the nuclear industry since the mid-1970s. Unwillingness to commission new nuclear plants is evident in Figure 5.1, which shows a general leveling off of nuclear energy's share of electricity production from 1988 through 2003 at about 20%.