Georgia’s Nuclear Progress

Photo credit: Markus Distelrath

The modern world demands a tremendous amount of power. Between 1980 and 2022, electricity consumption more than tripled across the planet as the global population reached 8 billion and counting. The United States uses more electricity than any other country aside from China, which has a population more than four times higher than ours.

Some types of energy production are better for the environment than others. Carbon emissions from fossil fuels contribute to climate change, which scientists say will only get worse with time. And there are more immediate problems with the burning of coal, oil and other fossil fuels. Air pollution has been linked to low birth weight, asthma, reduced lung function, respiratory infections and allergies in children, as well as increased risks of chronic diseases in adults.

Given that almost 80% of the energy used in the U.S. is produced from fossil fuels, this problem cannot be fixed overnight. While the renewable energy sector continues to become cheaper and more efficient, it will be a while before it will be capable of replacing our most damaging energy sources. Fortunately, there is a solution that has been proven to be safe, clean and efficient – nuclear power.

Nuclear power generation began in the U.S. in 1958 and today, there are 94 operating nuclear reactors in the country, down from a peak of 112 in 1990. These operating reactors account for about 20% of the nation’s electric energy generation and around half of emissions-free energy. The average age of these nuclear reactors is about 42 years old, which in part reflects how much our country has distanced itself from nuclear power.

Much of that shift has been due to public perceptions and reservations that pushed policymakers and energy companies away from building more nuclear power into their portfolios. One criticism is its radioactive waste, which is costly to maintain, remains toxic for tens of thousands of years and increases the risk of radioactive leaks. Fear around nuclear power has also been fostered by highly publicized accidents and failures such as Three Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986 and most recently, Fukushima in 2011.

However, it is worth noting that across every nuclear power and radiation accident and incident around the world over the last 65 years, fewer than 100 people have died in the immediate aftermath, and that number plummets once Chernobyl is removed. By comparison, a 2019 Global Burden of Disease study finds air pollution from fossil fuel use is killing a staggering 5 million people worldwide every year.

Fortunately, nuclear energy seems finally to be making a comeback. Americans’ support for nuclear energy has been growing over the last decade, according to a Gallup poll, from a low of 44% support in 2016 up to 55% in 2023, despite only a few new reactors coming online in the last 25 years.

That brings us to Georgia. Our state is at the vanguard of the nuclear renaissance, with Unit 3 at Plant Vogtle coming online last year, making it the first new nuclear reactor to do so in the U.S. in seven years. Unit 4 came online in April, making the facility the country’s largest generator of nuclear energy. Between these two units, they will supply enough electricity to power 1 million homes and businesses with clean energy.

There is no question that building these two new reactors was fraught with challenges, including a seven-year delay and $17 billion in cost overruns that ultimately led to the bankruptcy of Westinghouse Electric Company in 2017. Vogtle’s problems could deter other utilities from building nuclear plants. However, some of these challenges were because this was a largely unprecedented project in modern history – much of the specialized knowledge and resources to efficiently construct nuclear power plants had been lost in the last few decades. Currently 16 other countries are building nuclear power plants.

The completion of the new Vogtle reactors presents a huge learning opportunity for others to follow in our footsteps. In Georgia, energy providers and policymakers saw that our energy needs were growing too quickly to rely on 19th century energy solutions and seized the opportunity to expand our clean energy portfolio.

While we can and must continue to invest in improving other renewable energy technologies, we need more clean energy, we need it now, and we will need it in 30 years. And nuclear energy must be a part of that.

Tharon Johnson can be seen Sunday mornings on The Georgia Gang on Fox 5 Atlanta and is the founder and CEO of Paramount Consulting Group.