Three Island Nuclear Meltdown Fears Undermine Energy Production

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According to a Pew study earlier this year, 56 percent of Americans support nuclear power plants as a source of energy in this country. Several other studies find that the number drops sharply once plans to put one near where they live are made.

*More Nuclear Power New

*A Nuclear Resurgence

*AI And Nuclear

The primary reason people fear reactors is the belief that radiation causes cancer. Other fears listed are radioactive waste and a general belief that reactors are dangerous. Nothing feeds this anxiety more than a partial meltdown of the Unit 2 reactor at Three Mile Island on March 28, 1979. “A combination of equipment malfunctions, design-related problems and worker errors led to TMI-2’s partial meltdown and very small off site releases of radioactivity,” according to The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In other words, despite the tremendous news coverage, the accident was not significant.

Nuclear Shortage

The accident probably affected the growth of additional reactor locations. There are now 93 reactors in the US, down from 111 in the late 1980s. Nuclear energy provides 19% of American energy, but the figure could be much higher. This percentage is higher in many nations. In France, it is 64%. In Finland, the number is 42%

Spiking energy needs driven by a new AI server farm will max out America’s electricity production capacity. Wind and solar cannot grow fast enough to fill in the hole created. That leaves coal. Small modular reactors offer one solution. But they are unproven. If reactor anxiety stays high, so does America’s energy shortage.