Putting the Clear back in Nuclear

Nowadays, when you think nuclear, you probably think Fukushima, Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.

Terribly unfortunate accidents aside, we cannot afford to rule out nuclear power as a viable source of electrical energy.  In Ontario alone, nuclear power generation makes up more than half of all the electricity produced.  The base load that it supplies allows us to enjoy a high standard of living, without the high level of emissions that would accompany our only viable substitutes; natural gas and coal.

Coal's heavy carbon footprint has led to its being phased out, leaving a vacuum for a suitable substitute. Natural gas is an option, but the cost of constructing new plants is prohibitive, even when compared to the much maligned nuclear refurbishment bills.

Nuclear has one distinct advantage when it comes to environmental concerns, Steve Coupland, the Director of Environmental Affairs for the Canadian Nuclear Association points out:

"In terms of environmental safety, [the nuclear industry] is able to account for all of the emissions it generates in regard to spent fuel. We store and account for all used fuel and heavy water, something the coal and natural gas plants are not able to do. We have no idea where the emissions that leave their stacks end up or the repercussions that ensue."

Although refurbishment costs in the province are high, the actual cost per kilowatt generated from nuclear power is lower than the alternatives. When combined with the absence of emissions related to the operation of nuclear facilities, the choice seems to be an easy one.   “In my view, I think it’s a necessity.  Given today’s environmental impacts on coal producing power this is the way to go,” asserts previous OPG employee Perry Bowls.  

      Operating costs as of 2010

• Nuclear: 2.14 cents per kWh
• Coal: 3.06 cents per kWh
• Natural gas: 4.86 cents per kWh
• Oil: 15.18 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)

Until the renewable sector becomes more feasible, and in the absence of appropriate hydro resources, nuclear is the best option available in the short term.

With contingency plans in place to appropriately manage catastrophic failures, and with the provinces ramping up safety after the recent Fukushima disaster, we can sleep a little easier knowing that we are generating power that does not create greenhouse gasses and offers a relatively clean source of energy. “Our nuclear plants are inherently safe for the types of events that occur here in Ontario,” Dr. David Novog Director of the Institute for Energy Studies at McMaster University assures us, pointing out that no member of the public has been known to have suffered injury or exposure to radiation from one of the province's nuclear plants.

Safe and clean as it may be, nuclear power remains controversial and refurbishments of the plants we have now as well as plans to add new reactors will lock Ontario into nuclear power for decades to come. This is not in keeping with international trends; after Fukushima, German Chancellor Merkel moved to phase out nuclear power altogether in favour of renewable energy sources by 2030 with several other European Union countries placing moratoriums on future nuclear development.