Nuclear energy is an incredibly powerful technology. Nuclear energy has the ability to generate enormous quantities of emissions-free electricity, but also has the potential to be disastrous if not controlled and safeguarded properly. For these reasons the US created the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the international community has created the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). These are the two main governing bodies of nuclear energy and technology policy.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The NRC’s primary responsibilities are to regulate nuclear reactor and material safety, issue orders to licensees, and adjudicate legal matters. The NRC also ensures that nuclear material used in medical research and treatments are safe. All nuclear reactors in the US must obtain an operating license from the NRC prior to opening and beginning energy production. In the past, there have been issues with the customized design of each reactor causing extensive safety review delays by the NRC. In some instances, reactors that were fully constructed had the pending operating license revoked due to legal matters from anti-nuclear advocacy groups resulting in billions of dollars in sunk costs to public utilities.
International Atomic Energy Agency
The IAEA operates in a similar capacity to the NRC in the global community. It goes beyond safety review and regulation by inspecting nuclear operations in countries to ensure they are not intended for military purposes. The IAEA also encourages cooperation and sharing of nuclear science and peaceful applications of nuclear technologies across all borders. In this way, the IAEA promotes the progress of peaceful nuclear technologies.
US Politics
In the US opinions on nuclear energy vary widely in the political arena. Like many other issues in politics, nuclear energy can be quite divisive, creating rifts that cross party- lines and adhere to a different set of ideology. Pro-nuclear and anti-nuclear advocates come from all backgrounds, and those who are apathetic are simply uninformed. In this section a variety of government officials’ opinions will be put forth and discussed, so that you know where your legislators stand on the topic. Nuclear energy is increasingly gaining ground in the grapple for attention in the clean energy movement, and it is important to understand the positions of your policy-makers.
Utility Companies
Also to be discussed is the failure of public utilities to take a stand and provide proper public relations and education about nuclear energy. As a result of the manufactured fear of nuclear related topics, the general policy of public utilities operating nuclear power plants has been to remain silent. The act of mentioning nuclear energy production is likely to result in a public backlash of fear and resentment. It is time for a new era in which the policy of public utilities shifts from silence to one of education and promotion in order to eliminate fears of the unknown and dispell the myths put forth by misinformed dissenters.
Image Credit
Gavel courtesy of Flickr user walknboston published under the CC license.
