What are some advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy?
Advantages: 1. It works without regard to the weather; 2. It produces no greenhouse gases. Disadvantages: 1. Public uncertainty about safety and waste disposal; 2. Uncertain economics (the last major nuclear project in the state of Washington was a bust and cost a lot of people their life savings for nothing); 3. High initial cost; 4. No current plan for permanent waste storage; 5. Even higher cost for removing the plant once it has reached the end of its useful life. This will be more expensive than building it in the first place; 6. High use of water as a coolant, especially in areas that are arid (such as the Palo Verde nuclear power plant in Arizona that pumps irreplaceable ground water to cool the condensers).
