The poorest Americans are richer than 75 percent of humanity. About 4.56 billion people on this planet are living on less than $10 a day, and billions are living with little to no access to electricity.
Most people in the United States have access to electric power, which is required by water filtration, sanitation, airports, hospitals, medical equipment, appliances, electronics, communications systems, heating and ventilating, space programs, and militaries.
However, several billion people worldwide do not have access to the infrastructures enjoyed in wealthier developed countries, and most Americans find this hard to believe.
Yet, the solution is simple: Get the Government to quit “helping,” as it is the job of the American people and free enterprise to innovate products people like, not the Government. Again, the basic solution is anchored in the basic economic principle of free enterprise, unencumbered by Government “help.”
The most pronounced factor in poverty, or basic quality of life, is affordable electricity in our modern world. We find it difficult to operate any of our machines without it. Yet 120 years ago, almost nobody had electricity. Such is the magic of modern innovation. Access, however, is not enough. Electricity must be dirt cheap or almost free. Don’t laugh. Thanks to free enterprise, we can now make all the long-distance phone calls we want for one low monthly cell phone fee.
The solution to affordable electricity is within the grasp of “we the people,” more than you think. Technology exists; now, all we need is political will. Two factors have accentuated the need for more clean electricity in the last few years: more concern about clean air and a massive increase in electricity demand projected to double or triple in the coming decades, driven by the sudden popularity of Artificial Intelligence, Data Centers, and EV charging.
Sitting on the sites of all our nuclear power plants are already-mined, already-formed pellets for future affordable electricity. There are 90,000 tons of energy worth its weight in gold (at 1 cent/kWh) just sitting there. Some call this “nuclear waste” and are trying to spend tax dollars to bury it forever. Fortunately, the anti-nuclear lobbying has prevented this from happening. It turns out that recycling this material in fast reactors can extract all the hidden energy in uranium, not just 3% of it, as is common in today’s reactors.
The major impediment, ironically, is that the United States has not defined a disposition plan for this “waste” material, and a great many people, with good reason, regard this as detrimental to placing trust in a nuclear power industry. If this problem cannot be solved, how can nuclear power be good? It turns out that the nuclear power industry had the solution decades ago, and through the “magic” of Government “help,” that solution was legally stopped.
So, the Slightly Used Nuclear Fuel (SUNF) piled up. Being called “waste” has poisoned the public perception. However, with the new name, SUNF, there may be a way to see a bright new world ahead in plentiful, safe, clean, reliable, robust, and, best of all, cheap electricity. All we must do is get the Government to stop regulating it out of affordability.
To put this so-called “waste” into perspective, the amount of electricity contained in just the so-called “waste” material we have is the equivalent of 270 years of our current electricity consumption in the US by itself, and we are creating 2,000 tons of additional SUNF per year. There is enough to power our ramping demands for Artificial Intelligence, data centers, and EV chargers, and we still have enough to export to those in adjoining states who do not have sufficient electricity.
If we could see our way of transitioning this electricity production to private enterprise and allow companies to compete for your electricity business, it is not difficult to see the possibilities. Consider that if the disposition of this material is, indeed, a top priority, then the faster we dispose of it, the better, right? So, people should be encouraged to use electricity as quickly as possible.
With affordable electricity, unlimited clean water and unlimited hydrogen ⏤ unlimited electricity for billions around the world would be realized. In fact, using proven nuclear-generated electricity technology, power at one cent per kWh (it is well more than ten cents now) would be profitable. So, one low monthly price for electricity could not be far behind.
In fact, the US military is looking to power its bases with its own nuclear power plants as “micro-grids,” all owned by the individual base and not needing any power from external sources. As the competition ramps up for better and better reactors and the availability of power skyrockets, the American people finally get an advantage in the marketplace. Best of all, technology exists today to make all this possible. So, what are we waiting for?
It looks like we will need a Governor of a state to see the vision and develop this idea for their own state. The lucky state that seizes this opportunity could be the nucleus of the next electricity production revolution. Leveraging the existing Congressional Nuclear Waste fund for start-up costs in return for reduced regulations and some initial facilities, the state would benefit, the US Government would benefit, and, best of all, electricity customers would benefit. However, the overwhelming support of the public is needed for this to happen. Our US Government works for you, so you can make your desires known to a State Governor who can make the proposal to the US Government.
Since the nuclear power industry has proven to be the safest industry in the world for over 7 decades, regulations could easily be reduced to allow such a beneficial industry to thrive in free enterprise nirvana.
It would not take a lot of imagination to see free enterprise vs. government regulations spreading worldwide. Running water, sanitation, and modern appliances would find their way into the poverty centers in South Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and East Asia.
It only takes leadership.
First published at America Out Loud News.
Ronald Stein is an internationally published columnist and energy consultant, and a policy advisor for The Heartland Institute.
