A decade after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Americans have become accustomed to heightened security at airports, train stations and major public events. For the tens of thousands of employees at America’s 104 commercial nuclear energy plants, dramatic security enhancements have become a staple of the daily workplace. Ten years ago, nuclear plant security already was formidable and presented a clear deterrent against potential threats. Still, because of the 9/11 attacks, security was elevated to an unprecedented level….

The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is a time to remember those who sacrificed their personal safety to respond to that day’s horrific acts. For the nuclear industry, our daily commitment is to remain vigilant toward security. The industry, working with federal regulators and the intelligence community, receives real-time threat assessments and remains steadfast regarding security and safety. The anniversary also is a reminder of the importance of electricity in sustaining our economy and keeping our nation strong in a dangerous world.

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In addition, building and operating these projects inject billions of dollars into the regional economies. One nuclear energy facility contributes, on average, $430 million in sales of goods and services in the local community, almost $20 million in state and local tax revenue, and nearly $75 million annually in federal taxes annually.

AREVA is investing in other aspect of nuclear supply chain. The company plans to begin building its Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility next year, a project that would create up to 1,000 jobs during peak construction and some 350-400 jobs during operation. This $3 billion state-of-the-art facility would help invigorate the eastern Idaho economy.

Additionally, AREVA is partnering with the Shaw Group to build the MOX (Mixed-Oxide) Fuel Fabrication Facility in South Carolina for the DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration in support of its nonproliferation effort. Construction of the facility is well advanced and today some 2,000 workers are employed at the site.

Other companies in the nuclear energy sector are also doing their part with each new projects hundreds or even thousands of jobs are created. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, the nuclear industry has already created some 15,000 jobs over the past few years. Workers in the nuclear sector earn more a higher than average wage, and operation jobs are long-term and quite stable.

While U.S. policymakers struggle with approaches that will help bring down stubbornly high unemployment, they should consider ways to encourage investment in new nuclear projects that can create jobs by the thousands and spur investment in local communities. When complete, nuclear power plants produce clean, reliable and affordable electricity, which underpins a healthy economy.

Amid the many benefits that America’s 104 nuclear power plants provide, increased energy security is rarely mentioned. It is perhaps obscured by the fact that nuclear energy is by far the nation’s largest source of low-carbon electricity. People often talk about the reliability of U.S. nuclear power plants with average capacity factor above 90 percent. And nuclear power produces low-cost electricity – building a new plant is a significant investment, but the cost of electricity from this plant over its 60-year lifespan is predictable and affordable.

But what often gets lost in the shuffle is how our investment in nuclear power makes our energy supply more secure. Nuclear plant fuel comes mostly from uranium, which is plentiful. Utilities sign long-term contracts for uranium supply. Most of the mined uranium in American reactors comes from Canada, perhaps our nation’s closest ally and trading partner. (However, it should be noted that about 50% of U.S. nuclear fuel comes from converted Soviet weapons material, but that is another story.)

Fuel costs are only a small portion of the cost of nuclear generation, whereas it is the largest portion of the cost of generating electricity from fossil fuel-fired power plants. With natural gas plants, fuel represents about 70% of generating costs. When the cost of natural gas fluctuates (as it often does) the cost of generation fluctuates too. Adding nuclear energy to the mix adds diversity in supply and provides a hedge against these fluctuations in prices.

Energy security has been a major factor in the decision for most countries that have developed a significant nuclear sector. It was the oil crisis of the early 1970s that caused France to commit to nuclear energy in a big way. Today nearly 80% of France’s electricity comes from nuclear power, and it has the lowest electricity prices in Europe and among the lowest emissions per capita.

Recycling nuclear fuel offers additional benefits in terms of energy security. When you recycle used fuel, you reduce the need for fresh uranium by 25% and create a domestic energy source consisting of recycled uranium and mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel. The recycled fuel can be used again in standard nuclear plants. If the United States were to recycle the used fuel now stored at plant sites, it would power our 104 reactors for more than six years.

Today America’s nuclear plants produce about 20% of our electricity and also promote our energy security. However, we will need to invest in new plants to replace the reactors nearing the end of their operational lives. It is estimated we will need to build dozens of new plants over the next decades to maintain nuclear energy’s contribution.

In closing, here is a very interesting op-ed by Steve Kidd, deputy director of the World Nuclear Association, in Nuclear Engineering International that discusses how nuclear power supports a nation’s energy security.

In regards to news about plutonium detected at the power plant site, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) gathered and published some key points about the findings. Based on this information, the NEI concludes that there is “no health risk from the plutonium at Fukushima Daiichi” and includes the following:

• Tokyo Electric Power Co. on March 28 discovered minute levels of plutonium in the soil at five locations at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant site. The plutonium measured is as little as was in the environment in Japan following nuclear weapons testing during the Cold War.
• The plutonium at the site can be monitored and controlled, and the levels are not harmful to human health.

Click here to read the rest and find out more about the science behind Plutonium here.

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While utilities are currently managing issues with cooling water systems at the Fukushima plant and a fire in the non-nuclear portion of the Onagawa plant, the country’s nuclear reactors have performed as designed and constructed to withstand earthquakes.

According to information on the local reactors from the Nuclear Energy Institute:

The Japan Atomic Industry Forum (JAIF) issued a notice saying all 11 reactors in the north-eastern part of Japan that were operating had shut down automatically. It noted that the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) said no damage to nuclear power plants had been reported as of 3:16 p.m. local time. Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan made a statement on television in which he noted that there was no indication of any radioactive release.

The International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) has released information as part of an Earthquake and Tsunami Update Page noting that Japanese authorities have Onagawa, Fukushima-Daini and Tokai nuclear power plants were also shut down automatically, and no radiation release has been detected.

From the NEI press release Fertel was quoted as saying:

“The scale of the energy and environmental challenges facing our nation—large-scale development of clean energy technologies, modernizing the U.S. electric power supply and delivery system, and reducing carbon emissions—requires a broader financing platform…these projects, and many more like them, are essential if our nation is to meet our goals for clean energy and job creation.”

Read Fertel’s testimony here.