The Need for Efficient Electricity

As the need of electricity rises to sustain more and more electrical devices and support America’s constantly growing population, there becomes a need for more efficient ways of producing the energy needed to accommodate these demands. There are plenty of renewable resources such as wind, water, and the sun, but these sources have yet shown any practical use in America’s need for massive amounts of energy (Schulz). One solution to America’s needs may be to look more deeply into nuclear power. Nuclear power plants split uranium and plutonium atoms, a process known as fission, to produce high amounts of heat within a reactor, turning water into steam used to power generators (Introduction to Nuclear Energy). Twenty percent of America's energy already comes from nuclear power (Alexander); why is America so afraid of expanding this technology that it helped create? America should turn to nuclear power as its primary source of energy because it will help stimulate the economy, create new advancements in nuclear technology, and is much more safe than once believed.

An increase in nuclear power plants would put more money into the economy in a variety of ways. Some people argue that the cost of nuclear power plants are more expensive to build compared to fossil fuel or gas based plants (Ferguson), which is true, but the costs to fuel a nuclear plant is far less than it is for oil or gas. “The amount of energy obtained from this 1 pound of U235 (uranium-235) is the same as would result from the burning of 200,000 gallons of gasoline or from the burning of 1,500 tons of coal” (Hughes 66). This massive amount of energy compared to the others would definitely lower prices for consumers to enjoy, spending money elsewhere in the economy. Ther...

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