Earthquakes Threaten Nuclear Power
The Trump Administration plans to ramp up nuclear power as a means to add green energy while reducing emissions. AI server farms have already begun to draw energy from the US electricity system. Nuclear may be the only way out of catastrophic shortages.
“The White House’s emphasis on spinning up new reactors marks a dramatic shift in U.S. nuclear policy, “according to Axios. One reason it declined two generations ago was the accident at Three Mile Island in 1979. Americans turned on the energy source and made it clear it did not want these reactors within hundreds of miles of them.
A map of nuclear power plants in the US shows that four are on the West Coast in areas where geologists worry there will eventually be large earthquakes. There has been a plan to decommission some of these. The Trump plan may reverse that.
Small Modular Reactors
Another challenge is where new small modular reactors (SMR) will be built. These are considered an alternative to huge plans like those built 50 years ago. They may have an advantage in a catastrophic event. According to the IAEA, they use passive systems. “This means that in such cases no human intervention or external power or force is required to shut down systems, because passive systems rely on physical phenomena, such as natural circulation, convection, gravity and self-pressurization.” That remains to be seen. These have not been tested.
The Trump Administration has turned its attention to wind and has stopped or shut down several offshore projects. Solar components could be affected by tariffs.
If nuclear is not built out quickly, electricity’s future could be grim. First, utilities would need to turn back to fossil fuels like coal. Second, it is possible there will not be enough electricity to go around for everyone.
More from ClimateCrisis 247
- Fight To Save Climate Is Falling Apart
- Bottle Caps Spread Microplastics To Humans
- Eating Termites Will Help The Environment
- Nighttime Extreme Heat Is The Most Dangerous
