The debate around nuclear power has been ongoing for decades. Recently, Bill Gates, co-chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke out in favor of nuclear power, emphasizing the small amount of nuclear waste generated and the cost associated with storing and sequestering it underground. Currently, nuclear power makes up 19 percent of electricity generated in the United States and is classified as a “zero-emission clean energy source” by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Despite its clean energy status, the construction of new nuclear power generation has come to a virtual standstill. To make matters more complex, the US does not have a permanent repository for nuclear waste. High Level Waste (HLW) accounts for only 3 percent of the volume of radioactive wastes produced, but contains 95 percent of the radioactivity. Low Level Waste (LLW) accounts for around 90 percent of the volume of nuclear waste produced but contains only 1 percent of the radioactivity.
Gates strongly believes that the best hope for nuclear is for countries committed to nuclear to prove its economic and safety benefits, as well as its waste management techniques, in order to encourage more countries to give nuclear power a fresh evaluation. Ultimately, it is up to the public to decide if nuclear power will be part of the future of clean energy.