Is nuclear power good for East Tennessee?

Is nuclear power good for East Tennessee?

Oak Ridge, Anderson County (WVLT) - Energy, how to get it, and what types to use. It's a debate that President Bush put in the forefront Wednesday morning as America attempts to become more independent of foreign sources of fuel.

President Bush is pushing for America to build new nuclear power plants as well as put more of an emphasis on clean coal technology.

Volunteer TV's Eric Waddell went to find out what people from East Tennessee have to say about the President's comments.

We heard supporters and detractors on the President's ideas. In particular, some implying that building new nuclear power plants boarders on madness, while others believe that is the only logical course of action.

"Nuclear power is safe. That it makes sense for our consumers, and makes sense for the long term economic security of our country to expand nuclear power," President Bush said in his address Wednesday morning.

The Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge is known as America's storehouse of uranium. The head man there agrees with the President nuclear is a way to cut back the US's need for oil.

"The more advanced countries have to move towards nuclear energy, because it is renewable. It breaks the cycle of using up this limited natural resources," says Dennis Ruddy, from Y-12.

Ruddy believes that American technology makes nuclear power is a safe option.

But environmental leaders worry despite technology advances nuclear power is a Pandora's Box.

"If we didn't have any problem with nuclear accidents, if we were able to store it and know it would be safe for the millions of years nuclear waste remains active it would be a fine option. But we can't get rid of those risks. And the risks are far too huge," says Valerie True, from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

There seems to be more of a middle ground on the president's push towards so called clean coal technology.

"These plants are being developed in the US there is a strong program in the Department of Energy in the advanced power systems using coal," says Roddie Judkins, from ORNL.

Judkins says, there are abundant coal resources of coal in the US, but clean coal technology has at least one major drawback. To build new plants is very expensive, especially where older plants are still up and running.

Everyone we spoke with appeared to agree on one point, that tax dollars spent to develop new technology is worthwhile in the search for cleaner and cheaper energy sources.

But even on that point there is debate, some asking are we spending enough or too much to develop and implement new technologies.