Nuclear power proposed as renewable energy
Encyclopedia
Although nuclear power
is considered a low carbon power generation source, its legal inclusion with renewable energy
power sources has been the subject of debate. Statutory
and scientific definitions of renewable energies usually exclude nuclear energy. Commonly sourced definitions of renewable energy sources often omit or explicitly exclude nuclear energy sources as examples.
Nuclear fission is not regarded as renewable by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The American Petroleum Institute
does not consider conventional nuclear fission as renewable, but states that nuclear fission in breeder reactor
s is considered sustainable and renewable.
.
Nuclear power involving breeder reactor
s, which create more fissile isotopes than they consume during their operation, has a stronger case for being considered a renewable resource. Such reactors would constantly replenish the available supply of nuclear fuel by converting fertile material
s, such as uranium-238
and thorium
, into plutonium
or uranium-233
, respectively. Fertile materials are also nonrenewable, but their supply on Earth is extremely large, so the situation is similar to geothermal power
. In a closed fuel cycle utilizing breeder reactors, nuclear fuel could therefore be considered renewable. Physicist Bernard Cohen
claims that fast breeder reactors
, fueled by uranium extracted from seawater
, could supply energy at least as long as the sun's expected remaining lifespan of five billion years.
Uranium dissolved in seawater could also be considered a renewable resource, because it is constantly replenished by rivers eroding the Earth's crust at a rate of 6500 tonnes per year. In 1983, Bernard Cohen proposed that the uranium in the crust is effectively inexhaustible, and could therefore be considered a renewable source of energy.
" classification as well as the low-carbon classification could render nuclear power
projects eligible for development aid under more jurisdictions. Thus a key issue regarding this classification of nuclear power is inclusion in Renewable portfolio standard
(RES).
A bill proposed in the South Carolina Legislature in 2007-2008 aimed to classify nuclear power as renewable energy. The bill listed as renewable energy: solar photovoltaic energy, solar thermal energy, wind power, hydroelectric, geothermal energy, tidal energy, recycling, hydrogen fuel derived from renewable resources, biomass energy, nuclear energy, and landfill gas
.
In 2009 the Utah state passed the bill ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PROJECTS including incentives for renewable energy projects. It includes a direct reference to nuclear power: "Renewable energy" means the energy generation as defined in Subsection 10-19-102 (11) and includes generation powered by nuclear fuel. The bill passed the house with 72 yeas, 0 nays, and 3 absent, passed the senate with 24 yeas, 1 nay, and 4 absent, then received the governor's signature.
In 2010 the Arizona Legislature
included nuclear power in a proposed bill for electric utility renewable energy standards. The bill defined "renewable energy" as energy that is renewable and non-carbon emitting. It listed solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric, agricultural waste, landfill gas and nuclear sources.
, Charlie Crist
, and David Sainsbury. Bush has said of nuclear power: "Nuclear power is safe and nuclear power is clean and nuclear power is renewable".
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
is considered a low carbon power generation source, its legal inclusion with renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
power sources has been the subject of debate. Statutory
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
and scientific definitions of renewable energies usually exclude nuclear energy. Commonly sourced definitions of renewable energy sources often omit or explicitly exclude nuclear energy sources as examples.
Nuclear fission is not regarded as renewable by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The American Petroleum Institute
American Petroleum Institute
The American Petroleum Institute, commonly referred to as API, is the largest U.S trade association for the oil and natural gas industry...
does not consider conventional nuclear fission as renewable, but states that nuclear fission in breeder reactor
Breeder reactor
A breeder reactor is a nuclear reactor capable of generating more fissile material than it consumes because its neutron economy is high enough to breed fissile from fertile material like uranium-238 or thorium-232. Breeders were at first considered superior because of their superior fuel economy...
s is considered sustainable and renewable.
Attempts to define nuclear power as renewable
Conventional nuclear power uses uranium as its source of fuel. Uranium is a nonrenewable resource and when used at present rates would eventually be exhaustedUranium depletion
Uranium depletion is the result of extracting and consuming uranium, a non-renewable resource. The availability of high-grade uranium ore will deplete over time meaning the fuel will become more environmentally and economically expensive to extract....
.
Nuclear power involving breeder reactor
Breeder reactor
A breeder reactor is a nuclear reactor capable of generating more fissile material than it consumes because its neutron economy is high enough to breed fissile from fertile material like uranium-238 or thorium-232. Breeders were at first considered superior because of their superior fuel economy...
s, which create more fissile isotopes than they consume during their operation, has a stronger case for being considered a renewable resource. Such reactors would constantly replenish the available supply of nuclear fuel by converting fertile material
Fertile material
Fertile material is a term used to describe nuclides which generally themselves do not undergo induced fission but from which fissile material is generated by neutron absorption and subsequent nuclei conversions...
s, such as uranium-238
Uranium-238
Uranium-238 is the most common isotope of uranium found in nature. It is not fissile, but is a fertile material: it can capture a slow neutron and after two beta decays become fissile plutonium-239...
and thorium
Thorium
Thorium is a natural radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It was discovered in 1828 and named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder....
, into plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
or uranium-233
Uranium-233
Uranium-233 is a fissile isotope of uranium, bred from Thorium as part of the thorium fuel cycle. It has been used in a few nuclear reactors and has been proposed for much wider use as a nuclear fuel. It has a half-life of 160,000 years....
, respectively. Fertile materials are also nonrenewable, but their supply on Earth is extremely large, so the situation is similar to geothermal power
Geothermal power
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of minerals...
. In a closed fuel cycle utilizing breeder reactors, nuclear fuel could therefore be considered renewable. Physicist Bernard Cohen
Bernard Cohen
Bernard Leonard Cohen born June 14, 1924 in Pittsburgh, is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Pittsburgh. Professor Cohen has been a staunch opponent to the so called Linear no-threshold model which postulates there exists no safe threshold for radiation exposure...
claims that fast breeder reactors
Breeder reactor
A breeder reactor is a nuclear reactor capable of generating more fissile material than it consumes because its neutron economy is high enough to breed fissile from fertile material like uranium-238 or thorium-232. Breeders were at first considered superior because of their superior fuel economy...
, fueled by uranium extracted from seawater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
, could supply energy at least as long as the sun's expected remaining lifespan of five billion years.
Uranium dissolved in seawater could also be considered a renewable resource, because it is constantly replenished by rivers eroding the Earth's crust at a rate of 6500 tonnes per year. In 1983, Bernard Cohen proposed that the uranium in the crust is effectively inexhaustible, and could therefore be considered a renewable source of energy.
Legislation in the United States of America
Inclusion under the "renewable energyRenewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
" classification as well as the low-carbon classification could render nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
projects eligible for development aid under more jurisdictions. Thus a key issue regarding this classification of nuclear power is inclusion in Renewable portfolio standard
Renewable Portfolio Standard
A Renewable Portfolio Standard is a regulation that requires the increased production of energy from renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal...
(RES).
A bill proposed in the South Carolina Legislature in 2007-2008 aimed to classify nuclear power as renewable energy. The bill listed as renewable energy: solar photovoltaic energy, solar thermal energy, wind power, hydroelectric, geothermal energy, tidal energy, recycling, hydrogen fuel derived from renewable resources, biomass energy, nuclear energy, and landfill gas
Landfill gas
Landfill gas is a complex mix of different gases created by the action of microorganisms within a landfill.-Production:Landfill gas production results from chemical reactions and microbes acting upon the waste as the putrescible materials begins to break down in the landfill...
.
In 2009 the Utah state passed the bill ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PROJECTS including incentives for renewable energy projects. It includes a direct reference to nuclear power: "Renewable energy" means the energy generation as defined in Subsection 10-19-102 (11) and includes generation powered by nuclear fuel. The bill passed the house with 72 yeas, 0 nays, and 3 absent, passed the senate with 24 yeas, 1 nay, and 4 absent, then received the governor's signature.
In 2010 the Arizona Legislature
Arizona Legislature
The Arizona Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Senate. There are 60 Representatives and 30 Senators...
included nuclear power in a proposed bill for electric utility renewable energy standards. The bill defined "renewable energy" as energy that is renewable and non-carbon emitting. It listed solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric, agricultural waste, landfill gas and nuclear sources.
Notable people and speeches
Nuclear energy has been referred to as "renewable" by the politicians George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
, and David Sainsbury. Bush has said of nuclear power: "Nuclear power is safe and nuclear power is clean and nuclear power is renewable".