Florida may have new nuclear power plants in the nearest future. These facilities are regarded as the optimal strategy to address the power needs of the area while reducing CO2 emissions (Hemlock). However, one of the major issues to be addressed is the retirement procedures of these plants that will take place in 40 years. This process is associated with vast investments and a considerable environmental load. Nuclear power radioactive wastes are to be disposed of and stored somewhere (Cohen). It will be hard to find such a place as the materials will need over 100,000 to decompose.
Nevertheless, the benefits of the construction of these plants make many people positive about this idea. For instance, if FPL receives the licenses, the state will receive a power plant producing clean energy for over 750,000 households (Hemlock). The disadvantages associated with giving the license will be quite significant as well. The risk of an accident at the new plants is high, and the example of the Fukushima catastrophe shows that the consequences of such events can be hardly tolerated (Wilkerson). To avoid such negative effects, it is possible to consider alternatives to nuclear power. The energy of wind and sun can be widely used in many regions of the USA. Of course, renewable energy can be one of the options as nuclear plants will still be needed due to seasonal changes and the availability of renewable resources.
If I were in a position to give the license, I would provide permission to build one nuclear plant as it could provide a significant amount of energy for people. At that, I would also vote for the allocation of funds to build a sun or wind power facility instead of the second nuclear power plant. I would develop strict guidelines and safety, as well as environmental, standards to ensure a minimal negative impact.
Works Cited
Cohen, Steven. “The Technological World and the Risk of Nuclear Power.” Huffington Post. 2016, Web.
Hemlock, Doreen. “FPL Seeks Two More South Florida Nuclear Reactors.” SunSentinel, 2014, Web.
Wilkerson, Jordan. “Reconsidering the Risks of Nuclear Power.” Harvard University. 2016, Web.