A Sense of World Nuclear Energy

Energy powers the modern world and its diverse people and products. Electrical energy plays a growing part in virtually all things we consume. Since William Stanley demonstrated on 20 March 1886 in nearby Great Barrington that electricity could be readily transformed and shipped long distances, relatively safe and clean electrical energy has been produced in increasingly larger generating plants situated among population and industrial centers to power an astonishing bounty of appliances and machinery in homes, offices, and manufacturing.

While most of the world's electricity generation comes from burning abundant coal, the discovery of fissile uranium and its use in several kinds of nuclear thermal electrical generating plants offers an important and virtually unlimited source of energy for our use. Here's a glimpse of how the world has adopted nuclear power and plans to expand its use.

According to the World Nuclear Association (www.world-nuclear.org), some 470 nuclear power plants in 44 countries either produce or as of 31 January 2009 plan to produce nuclear electric power. At the end of 2007, WNA tally that the world produced 2,608 billion kilowatt-hours, of which the USA produced some 806.6 billion kilowatt-hours, followed by France's 420.1 , Japan's 267.0, Russia's 148.0, South Korea's 136.6, Germany's 133.2, and Canada's 88.2. China and India, fast-growing economies, produced 59.3 and 15.8 bkWhr respectively.

As a percentage of electric power produced in each country, in 2007 France lead with 77% from its 59 nucs, little Lithuania at 64% from its one nuc, Belgium and Slovakia at 54% from 7 and 4 nucs respectively, Ukraine 48% from 15 nucs, Sweden 46% from 10, Armenia 43.5% from 1 nuc, Switzerland 43% from 5, and the USA, a powerhouse, at just 19.4% from 104 nucs. Eleven Chinese and 17 Indian nucs produced some 1.9% and 2.5% of their electrical power then.

What does the future hold for nuclear electric power? Despite much nonsense about things nuclear, as of 31 January China has planned 26 new nucs and has proposed another 72. Japan has planned 13 and proposed 1. The USA (finishing one earlier stopped) has planned 12 and proposed 20. Russia has planned 11 and proposed 25. India has 10 planned and 15 proposed.

Other counties not now major producers have ambitious plans as well. For example, Italy, without a single nuc, wants 10, and South Africa wants 24 to add to or replace its present 2. Even the United Arab Republic, despite its wealth of gas and oil, plans to build 3 and has proposed 11 more. Why make electricity with valuable oil? What a sensible idea.

Of course, some of the planned and proposed nucs will replace aging ones. Some may not be built. Nevertheless, the adaptable power of electricity and the immense quantity of star energy bound in relatively small amounts of uranium, plutonium, and thorium make them sensible sources of energy for powering the world's peoples and their increasingly diverse economic activities.