Will Climate Change Impact Nuclear Energy in the Southwest?
Friday, April 8, 2011
Author: Britain Eakin
In the process of generating nuclear-based electricity, large amounts of cool water are needed to maintain safe temperatures in the reactors. This is why the overwhelming majority of nuclear power plants are located adjacent to bodies of water; they divert water from these sources for cooling, and then release it back into the same sources. Climate change has the potential to significantly impact water availability and water temperatures, especially here in the Southwest; this raises the question of whether nuclear energy production could be affected by climate change as well. (Read More)
