Does nuclear energy have a role in the clean energy future of our country? Currently, nuclear production accounts for 797.1 billion kilowatt hours annually, or 19.5 percent of total generation in the United States, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute. About 30 percent of all the nuclear power in the world is generated in the U.S. by 99 power reactors in 30 states, the World Nuclear Association reports. That number could grow or fall in future years, depending on a variety of factors. Read on to learn more.

Clean Power Opportunities

Nuclear power is far less harmful to the environment than burning coal or natural gas, most notably in its relatively negligible contribution to air pollution and climate change, according to NASA. If we want to make dramatic cuts to emissions, nuclear can be a major player along with wind and solar generation.

Despite its promise, nuclear power fell out of favor in the United States for decades, following the Three Mile Island accident in 1977 and cheap natural gas prices making nuclear less competitive for powering the country's electrical work. The World Nuclear Association does expect six new plants to be completed in the country by 2020, however. That number could rise in future years, depending on several variables including natural gas prices, public sentiment, technological advances and progress toward meeting emission reduction goals.

The Challenges Posed by Nuclear Energy

However, nuclear generation is not a panacea for our electrical work, and it does pose two large problems. The first is what to do with spent nuclear fuel, which can remain dangerous to humans for millennia. Currently, spent fuel is usually stored on-site at generating plants after it is used, but the country has still not figured out an effective long term solution.

The other big caveat when it comes to nuclear energy is the capacity for disaster. On a day-to-day basis, nuclear plants are far less harmful to humans and the environment than coal, but in the event of a meltdown or other malfunction, the damage can be catastrophic. Look no further than the ongoing health and environmental problems that stemmed from the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan to see the consequences when nuclear power goes wrong.

The Cloudy Future of the Nation's Electrical Work

For now, there is no firm answer to what the future of nuclear energy is in the United States. The industry could grow into a larger piece of the nation's clean energy future, or it could end up phased out entirely if there is another major accident, or if renewable sources continue to grow in market share and effectiveness.

If you have any questions about where your electricity comes from, or need any electrical work performed in your home, call a residential electrician today.

Well, they told us yesterday’s Super Bowl would be the greenest one to date, but they failed to mention that as part of the plan to save energy they were going to turn the lights out in the second half.

Just kidding. This year’s Super Bowl might go down in the books for its lighting “abnormality,” but certainly there were some “bright spots” about this year’s lighting as well. Today, I’m going to reflect on  both.

We were also enamored by the flashy lights in Beyonce’s halftime show. Seriously, this show was any lighting enthusiast’s dream. It had everything. A stage with insane video effects, a guitar with incredible pyrotechnics, and 72,000 fans wearing Image via USAToday.com

What actually caused this thing?

After the lights came back on and the game ended, Entergy New Orleans, the stadium’s energy provider, and Superdome operator SMG issued this statement in an attempt to “shed some light” on the situation:

“A piece of equipment that is designed to monitor electrical load sensed an abnormality in the system. Once the issue was detected, the sensing equipment operated as designed and opened a breaker, causing power to be partially cut to the Superdome in order to isolate the issue. Entergy and SMG will continue to investigate the root cause of the abnormality.”

During a recent trip down to Washington, DC I stopped by the National Mall to tour the astonishingly energy efficient homes on display as part of the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathalon.  The Solar Decathlon is one of the DOE’s signature programs to promote cutting edge design and green techonology.

You may not know it, but an electrician can actually take care of more than just electrical problems. If you have moved into a new home or want to add an additional phone line or another line for your cable television, you can call an electrician to take care of it for you. You don’t have to rely on several different people to get the job done. An electrician in Santa Monica can take care of all your cable needs as well as any electrical you may have. The Electric Connection would love to get you up and running.

Many people are unaware an electrician can handle some of these jobs and are forced to rely on the cable or telephone company. Because there are fewer technicians that work for those companies, your wait times can be extensive and there is not much competition to drive down the prices. Calling an electrician can make your life easier and help you get what you need when you want it.

Electricians are familiar with running electrical wire, which is essentially the same as data and phone cable lines. Skilled professionals will know just how to handle your installation and can make sure there is no interference with your home or business’s current Santa Monica electrical system. You can count on the electrician to run the phone, cable or data lines neatly and most importantly, the right way! An electrician will have the skill and knowledge needed to run the lines in the most efficient way possible. The last thing you want is cable running all over the walls and floors.

There are a few things you should look for when hiring an electrician to complete a job for you. When they show up to your home or business, they should be wearing a clean uniform, be friendly and maintain a neat work area. Give The Electric Connection a call today and we can get your data lines installed.