This article in the Washington Post looks at potential nuclear power plants and what comes along with them. With all the talk of global warming and reducing the use of fossil fuels, nuclear power seems like the way to go, but it is extremely expensive. This article examines a proposal to build a pair of nuclear power plants in Georgia. On the positive side it is a cleaner, renewable energy that is proven, but the drawback is that the two plants will cost an estimated 14 billion and it is stated in the article that nuclear plants often run over budget. The Obama administration has okayed 8.3 billion in low interest federal loans for the plants. The controversial part is how the rest of the money will be raised. Power companies want to charge their customers prior to breaking ground, in order to help cut costs.
This is an extremely difficult subject to pick a side on, unless one is extremely knowledgeable. On the one hand it looks like nuclear power is a great replacement to the coal burning plants that cover the states, as it's clean and in the long run can be potentially cheaper then coal. On the other hand the upfront costs have made it difficult for the switch to take place in more then a few areas. The electric company’s difficulty finding financing adds to the mystery of this topic. Its good for the future and the environment, but past nuclear endeavors' driving some companies into bankruptcy have made investors weary. Hopefully as we work with nuclear technology longer, we can find cheaper methods that lead to the same result.
--Chris Rankin
