Will the Nuclear Renaissance in the U.S. Pose an Increased Risk to National Security?
Billed as a green alternative to fossil fuels, and a solution to dependency on foreign oil, nuclear energy in the United States is experiencing a renaissance. There are currently 104 nuclear reactors in the U.S. that generate 20% of the electricity used by the country. However, without license renewals, many of these reactors would cease to operate, and the nuclear energy capacity of the U.S. would decrease to zero by 2040 while the demand for energy in the U.S. is expected to increase by 50%. The Nuclear Power 2010 Initiative, launched by the Bush administration in 2003, is a partnership between the government, and the nuclear energy industry that was created to reduce the regulatory barriers to the development of new nuclear power plants. As a result of George W. Bush´s requested $114 million in the FY08 budget for the program, and the 2005 Energy Policy Act, which provided tax credits for nuclear production, and Federal Risk Insurance to builders of new nuclear power plants, 20 comp
