247
wind turbines is not acceptable to investor-owned electrical utilities. Non-GHG
emitting heat sources, such as solar-assisted geothermal and new-technology
nuclear (and probably others) can directly replace coal burners or natural gas combined cycle turbines, allowing existing power generating infrastructure to be maintained. What is needed is a source of heat to boil water and make steam. It makes no
difference to the boiler if that heat comes from coal, gas, nuclear, or geothermal.
The transition to sustainable energy must happen and it must happen soon. Getting
this started on existing electrical infrastructure is a gradual and minimally- disruptive
way to begin the process.
The Nuclear Waste Problem Must Be Resolved Desperately needed advances in
new nuclear technology have been stymied by the waste problem. Nuclear waste
from reactors, even new technology thorium-seeded reactors, must be handled in a
responsible manner. Leaving this waste stored in dry casks at existing nuclear power
plants near major cities is a significant risk. During the Cold War, the Soviets knew
that the best way to enhance the fallout cloud was not to bomb the city, but to bomb
the nearby nuclear power plant. Although the Cold War is behind us, this risk still
exists for any of the multitude of terrorist groups seeking to acquire nuclear devices.
The proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada is located in
remote desert a hundred miles (160 km) from the nearest big city. There is nothing
technically wrong with Yucca Mountain. Years of studies and billions of dollars in
research have failed to find any fatal technical flaws in using the site for the storage
of high-level nuclear waste. Given the investments that have already been made in
time and money, this site should be reconsidered. All the existing problems are
political in nature, and will require careful negotiations, engaging stakeholders, possibly a new government agency to be in charge, creative thinking, and probably
some money to resolve. Resolve it we must, if we are to move forward with nuclear
technology.
New Nuclear Technology Should Be Robustly Pursued Thorium-seeded molten
salt reactors are small, safe, cannot melt down in a loss of cooling accident, and use
thorium as the fertile element to create 230 U, a light, fissionable isotope of uranium
that does not pick up neutrons and create the dangerous “transuranics” like plutonium that are produced as waste products in standard enriched-uranium reactors.
Other advanced technologies should also be investigated and developed. Current
reactor technology is a byproduct of nuclear weapons production from the Cold
War, and it is high time it was left behind as old school and new technology implemented. Molten salt reactors are small enough to be installed in existing fossil fuel
power plants as a replacement heat source to make steam. The abundance of thorium and the potential for reprocessing spent fuel for re-use makes this technology
pretty close to “sustainable,” and it produces zero GHG in operation.
Government Research on Energy Should Focus on Geothermal So called
“clean coal” and other fossil fuel technologies ought to be abandoned to the dust bin
of history and much more attention given to two new geothermal technologies that
12.3 Recommendations
wind turbines is not acceptable to investor-owned electrical utilities. Non-GHG
emitting heat sources, such as solar-assisted geothermal and new-technology
nuclear (and probably others) can directly replace coal burners or natural gas combined cycle turbines, allowing existing power generating infrastructure to be maintained. What is needed is a source of heat to boil water and make steam. It makes no
difference to the boiler if that heat comes from coal, gas, nuclear, or geothermal.
The transition to sustainable energy must happen and it must happen soon. Getting
this started on existing electrical infrastructure is a gradual and minimally- disruptive
way to begin the process.
The Nuclear Waste Problem Must Be Resolved Desperately needed advances in
new nuclear technology have been stymied by the waste problem. Nuclear waste
from reactors, even new technology thorium-seeded reactors, must be handled in a
responsible manner. Leaving this waste stored in dry casks at existing nuclear power
plants near major cities is a significant risk. During the Cold War, the Soviets knew
that the best way to enhance the fallout cloud was not to bomb the city, but to bomb
the nearby nuclear power plant. Although the Cold War is behind us, this risk still
exists for any of the multitude of terrorist groups seeking to acquire nuclear devices.
The proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada is located in
remote desert a hundred miles (160 km) from the nearest big city. There is nothing
technically wrong with Yucca Mountain. Years of studies and billions of dollars in
research have failed to find any fatal technical flaws in using the site for the storage
of high-level nuclear waste. Given the investments that have already been made in
time and money, this site should be reconsidered. All the existing problems are
political in nature, and will require careful negotiations, engaging stakeholders, possibly a new government agency to be in charge, creative thinking, and probably
some money to resolve. Resolve it we must, if we are to move forward with nuclear
technology.
New Nuclear Technology Should Be Robustly Pursued Thorium-seeded molten
salt reactors are small, safe, cannot melt down in a loss of cooling accident, and use
thorium as the fertile element to create 230 U, a light, fissionable isotope of uranium
that does not pick up neutrons and create the dangerous “transuranics” like plutonium that are produced as waste products in standard enriched-uranium reactors.
Other advanced technologies should also be investigated and developed. Current
reactor technology is a byproduct of nuclear weapons production from the Cold
War, and it is high time it was left behind as old school and new technology implemented. Molten salt reactors are small enough to be installed in existing fossil fuel
power plants as a replacement heat source to make steam. The abundance of thorium and the potential for reprocessing spent fuel for re-use makes this technology
pretty close to “sustainable,” and it produces zero GHG in operation.
Government Research on Energy Should Focus on Geothermal So called
“clean coal” and other fossil fuel technologies ought to be abandoned to the dust bin
of history and much more attention given to two new geothermal technologies that
12.3 Recommendations