Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Who is the largest single producer of nuclear energy in the world?

Improbably enough, that would be . . . the United States. Even though the development of new nuclear plants stalled by the early 1980s, the country’s 104 reactors today produce nearly 20 percent of the electricity the nation consumes. This share has actually grown over the years along with our consumption, since nuclear technology has become more efficient. While the fixed costs of a new nuclear plant are higher than those of a coal or natural-gas plant, the energy is cheaper to create: Exelon, the largest nuclear company in the United States, claims to produce electricity at 1.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared with 2.2 cents for coal.

We have much untapped potential in this area and people are starting to wake up from their Fonda-induced stupor. Even if it's being induced by a Gore-induced stupor...I'll take it.

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