By Anna Turnage, 12/2006

• 1: Introduction
• 2: Nuclear Power Today part 2
• 3: North Carolina’s electric cooperatives’ interest in nuclear energy
• 4: How a nuclear generator plant works
• 5: Learning about nuclear energy at Catawba Nuclear Station
• Download the full article as a

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“Needless to say, there will always be folks who find fault in regard to nuclear safety,” Turinsky says. “But I would say most folks are not greatly concerned about nuclear safety issues. Opinion polls and NRC design certification of nuclear plants indicate this.”

Turinsky says that one of the bigger issues still unresolved today is that of nuclear waste storage. The United States government still has not designated a place to store high-level waste. For more than 20 years, the utility industry and federal government have been paying to study, plan and build a repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. While it remains the main candidate, Yucca Mountain is not expected to be prepared to accept waste until 2017. Spent fuel is currently stored at the respective power plant sites.

Despite the concerns, the benefits of nuclear energy are clearly winning out, particularly since safety has not proven to be a problem. The increasing need for energy, particularly in fast growing states like North Carolina, are leading many companies to consider constructing new plants. Duke Energy and Progress Energy are among those companies. Duke has chosen a site in Cherokee County, S.C., for a new nuclear plant, and Progress Energy is proposing to add a reactor to its Harris site to meet increasing energy demands.

For North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives, the potential for new nuclear plants in North Carolina all comes down to providing a reliable, low-cost and safe energy supply, Brannan says.

“We will evaluate the total cost and strategic fit of each generation type or supply for our customers,” he said. “Overall, however, the Carolina area will benefit from additional capacity to meet the area’s growing demand. Clearly, having adequate supply is a key component to ensuring reliable delivery into the future. Additionally, increasing the capacity in the geographic area would lead to additional potential supply opportunities.”

Anna Turnage is a writer and doctoral candidate at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.