Nuclear Power - Why it's part of the American Future

Earlier today, speaking on Fox New, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said that

"No clean energy portfolio is truly complete without nuclear power."

He also said that,

"Ten years ago, people would never have guessed that by 2018 the United States is expected to be a net energy exporter of natural gas."

Natural gas is one thing - but OIL is another.

What Mr. Perry doesn't want to tell you is that the oil industry is in deep trouble, losing money and depleting resources.

Natural gas and coal aren't enough to fill the void of the ever-increasing cost of oil extraction, so nuclear energy will be necessary in the years ahead to make electricity affordable to most.

I'm afraid that Mr. Perry's remarks, about the US becoming a net energy exporter of natural gas, will lead people to conclude that we are becoming energy independent, but that's unfortunately not in the cards.

The United States is only able to produce about half (or less than half) of its oil needs. And that's using fracking, which is much less efficient and less profitable than conventional drilling.

So, for the American future, nuclear power makes economical and environmental sense ... BUT ONLY if they can give a 100% guarantee of no "accidents." Remember Chernobyl and Fukushima?

Unfortunately, we will never get a 100% guarantee of no accidents at nuclear power plants.

But politics and money will make the decisions, weighing the benefits against the risks. I'll tell you right now, the benefits will outweigh the risks.

But if you study Fukushima, I would conclude those risks were far too great. At least for them, and where they built their nuclear plants.

The damage from Fukushima is far from over. The leaks persist, out into the Sea of Japan, North Pacific Ocean, along the west coast of the United States... and really, it's all around the world now.

The melted nuclear cores have melted into the earth, nuclear waste keeps flowing out into the oceans and there is no end in sight. I recall an article saying that containment could be 50 years away, and that new technology not yet invented, will be required to stop the ongoing disaster.

But as Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said, nuclear power will be part of our "all-of-the-above" energy strategy... wind, solar, coal, nuclear.

It was kind of a nonchalant addition of nuclear in the mix of solutions, but you can be sure, nuclear is going to be a much bigger deal than might appear in his energy briefing.