There are two basic groups of energy: renewable energy, such as solar power, and nonrenewable energy, such as fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Three quarters of the world's energy is generated by burning fossil fuels. " [55I12] When it comes to the topic of energy, most would agree that daily function depends on energy. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of what energy sources countries should use. Whereas some are convinced that nuclear energy can create dangerous outcomes, others maintain that countries across the globe are turning their reliance to more nuclear energy and less dependence on alternative energy sources. Governments are turning to nuclear energy for various reasons to reach their energy needs and how much they should depend on nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is when uranium atoms are split, causing a net loss of mass that actually transforms into large amounts of energy, in a process known as fission[Nuc13]. Nuclear energy use contains various factors to be examined through costs to run a nuclear power plant, a comparison to other energy sources, and environmental concerns. .
Costs of nuclear power plants can vary for many reasons, such as location, raw materials, manufacturing, and much more. Although it would be perceived that nuclear power plant costs would be extremely high, in the long scheme of things it seems to be more efficient than alternative energy plants. The capital cost, building the actual plant itself, is the most expensive part of nuclear power plant because of special safety materials used to handle nuclear matter. Capital costs for the United States is 5,339 dollars per kilowatt[Eco14]. Following capital costs comes the operating costs of nuclear power plants, which includes operating the plant and maintaining it also[Eco14]. Unlike fossil fuels, uranium must be fabricated and enriched into fuel elements. Reactor fuels costs per one kilogram of uranium is approximately 2,360 dollars, which is a third of coal fired plants and nearly a quarter of gas fired plants[Eco14].
