Japan is reconsidering nuclear power. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a plan to research the construction of new nuclear reactors.
Nuclear is a scary word and associated with terrible disasters. The 2011 Fukushima disaster was caused by an earthquake but engineers say that nuclear plants have become more equipped for that in the last 10 years. Nightmares about Chernobyl are also valid but recall that Chernobyl was caused by an experiment from engineers inside the plant. It was not human or machine error.
Nuclear is a far cheaper and greener form of energy than fossil fuels. It kills fewer people per unit of energy production. As geopolitics has disrupted fossil fuel-based energy, more countries are rethinking their stance on nuclear power in order to become less dependent on foreign imports. Nuclear power would be a boon for the Japanese economy if they can get it right. We discussed the pros and cons of nuclear energy in this segment.
