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The Future of Nuclear Power in the US Energy Supply

Published by USC Bedrosian Center on

Road to the White House

There are three obstacles to the future development of nuclear power: Safety, waste disposal, and weapons proliferation. The current US administration has a mixed record regarding nuclear power: On one hand it has been promoting nuclear power as a means to producing energy without greenhouse gas emissions; on the other hand, it has stopped the development nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada calling into question a solution that seemed to be in reach. The accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan has again raised the concerns about safety risks of nuclear power plants and Iran continues to create headlines about nuclear proliferation. What is the long-term future of nuclear power into a global context, and then home in on the US energy future? What are obstacles to further expansion of nuclear power in the US and end with some observations on the seeming silence by all current political players about the issue in the current political debate?

Moderated by:

  • Daniel Mazmanian, Director, Bedrosian Center

Featuring:

  • Detlof von Winterfeldt, professor at USC Price
  • Travis Glynn, USC junior majoring in International Relations, current of the International Relations Undergraduate Association
  • Christian Patterson, USC freshman majoring in Political Science, member of Annenberg’s Policy Debate Team and the Current Events Director for Students for Barack Obama

Bedrosian Center