Iowa Straw Poll Results All Democrats All Republicans All Candidates Current Top 4 Democrats Current Top 4 Republicans CNN's Top 4 Democrats CNN's Top 4 Republicans

Nuclear Power

Nuclear power is a type of nuclear technology involving the controlled use of nuclear fission to release energy for work including propulsion, heat, and the generation of electricity. Nuclear energy is produced by a controlled nuclear chain reaction and creates heat - which is used to boil water, produce steam, and drive a steam turbine. The turbine can be used for mechanical work and also to generate electricity. Critics claim that nuclear power is an uneconomic and potentially dangerous energy source with a limited fuel supply compared to renewable energy, and dispute whether the costs and risks can be reduced through new technology. Critics also point to the problem of storing radioactive waste, the potential for possibly severe radioactive contamination by accident or sabotage, the possibility of nuclear proliferation and the disadvantages of centralized electrical production. Proponents of nuclear energy respond that nuclear power is a sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions and increases energy security by decreasing dependence on foreign countries for energy sources. Proponents also claim that the risks of storing waste are small and can be further reduced by the technology in the new reactors and the operational safety record is already good when compared to the other major kinds of power plants. Many go on to argue that renewables are limited to a minority share of energy production because they are Intermittent power sources and have questionable economics themselves as well as demanding too much money for development.

Joseph Biden on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	A useful but flawed source of alternate energy
Description:	"I see a role for nuclear, but first you've got to deal with the security as well as the safety concerns. I'd be spending a whole hell of a lot of money trying to figure out how to reconfigure the spent fuel into reusable fuel. I would not invest in [growing our nuclear-power capacity in its current form], but I would invest in sorting out the storage and waste problems." - Joe Biden
Citations:

1.	Biden on the Record (10/4/07) An interview with Joe Biden about his presidential platform on energy and the environment where he talks about nuclear power.

Michael Bloomberg on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports nuclear power
Description:	Bloomberg feels nuclear power is a good way for the U.S. to achieve energy independence.
Citations:

1.	Bloomberg Calls for National Energy Reforms (8/10/07) Bloomberg's energy policy stating he is pro-nuclear power.

Sam Brownback on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports
Description:	"For too long our nation's foreign policy has been dictated in part by our need for foreign oil. Through increased usage of renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel, enhanced domestic production of oil and natural gas, and new clean coal and nuclear technologies, the United States is taking a step towards energy independence." - Sam Brownback
Citations:

1.	Brownback Applauds Passage of Energy Bill (8/14/07) Brownback promotes bill with provisions to build nuclear power plants.

Hillary Clinton on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Skeptical
Description:	"I am agnostic about nuclear. I am very skeptical that nuclear could become acceptable in most regions of the country, and I am doubtful that we have yet figured out how to deal with the waste. But I keep being given information about research that is being done to resolve the waste problem. I know that will continue because that has a lot of economic power and resources behind it. But until we can figure out what to do with the waste and overcome the political objections, we should not be putting a heavy emphasis on nuclear." - Hillary Clinton
Citations:

Clinton Lays Out Energy Plan (8/14/07)
Clinton was notably cool to increased use of nuclear power, citing problems of cost, safety, proliferation and waste. She said she supports higher fuel efficiency standards for automobiles but warned against steps that would force U.S. automakers to move production to other countries.

Clinton on the Record (8/14/07)
I am agnostic about nuclear. I am very skeptical that nuclear could become acceptable in most regions of the country, and I am doubtful that we have yet figured out how to deal with the waste. But I keep being given information about research that is being done to resolve the waste problem. I know that will continue because that has a lot of economic power and resources behind it. But until we can figure out what to do with the waste and overcome the political objections, we should not be putting a heavy emphasis on nuclear.

Christopher Dodd on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Is uneasy but feels it could be a good way to reduce global warming
Description:	"I understand the safety and security concerns with nuclear power and share many of them -- I live three miles away from a nuclear power plant. But nuclear power is an option to reduce global warming, which I don't believe we can afford to take off the menu of options, not when we rely on it for close to one-quarter of our power. However, the nuclear waste generated is an environmental hazard that I'm deeply concerned about. While the temporary solution of storing waste in dry casks may be safe, we must find a resolution to long-term concerns. We must invest in R&D to develop safe and secure ways for permanent disposal that will protect our environment, our water supply, and our country's national security. We are not alone in this pursuit and as president I will join forces with our allies around the world facing the same problem." - Christopher Dodd
Citations:

Dodd on the Record (8/14/07)
I understand the safety and security concerns with nuclear power and share many of them -- I live three miles away from a nuclear power plant. But nuclear power is an option to reduce global warming, which I don't believe we can afford to take off the menu of options, not when we rely on it for close to one-quarter of our power.

John Edwards on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Opposes
Description:	Edwards opposes nuclear energy because there is no good way to deal with the waste and "we have immediate needs and getting one of these nuclear power plants online starting from scratch, which is what we'd be doing, would take an enormous amount of time."
Citations:

1.	John Edwards addresses nuclear energy in Florence, SC (8/14/07) Edwards "is not" in favor of nuclear energy.

Newt Gingrich on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports
Description:	"You have, by the way, for those people who say they are worried about global warming, you have the same kind of hysterical emotion caused by the movie, "The China Syndrome" about nuclear power. It turns out, and I think this is a great irony to pose to people like Al Gore -- if the United States had followed the French in a clean nuclear strategy, and we were producing the same amount of electricity from nuclear that the French are, we would be generating two billion -- not million -- two billion, two-hundred million tons a year less in carbon." - Newt Gingrich
Citations:

Nuclear Power: A Renaissance, Without Fear (8/14/07)
"You have, by the way, for those people who say they are worried about global warming, you have the same kind of hysterical emotion caused by the movie, "The China Syndrome" about nuclear power. It turns out - and I think this is a great irony to pose to people like Al Gore -- if the United States had followed the French in a clean nuclear strategy, and we were producing the same amount of electricity from nuclear that the French are, we would be generating two billion -- not million -- two billion, two-hundred million tons a year less in carbon." - Newt

Rudolph Giuliani on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports nuclear power
Description:	Giuliani supports nuclear power as a way to achieve energy independence.
Citations:

1.	Giuliani Says His Energy Plan Would Aid Planet, Fight Terror (8/10/07) Nuclear power is among the list he outlines in energy we should be using.

Al Gore on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Has problems and will not be the the energy choice of the future
Description:	"There are serious problems that have to be solved, and they are not limited to the long-term waste-storage issue and the 'vulnerability to terrorist attack' issue. Let's assume for the sake of argument that both of those problems can be solved. We still have other issues. For eight years in the White House, every weapons-proliferation problem we dealt with was connected to a civilian reactor program. And if we ever got to the point where we wanted to use nuclear reactors to back out a lot of coal -- which is the real issue: coal -- then we'd have to put them in so many places we'd run that proliferation risk right off the reasonability scale. And we'd run short of uranium, unless they went to a breeder cycle or something like it, which would increase the risk of weapons-grade material being available." - Al Gore
Citations:

1.	Al Revere (8/14/07) Gore saying nuclear power won't become a big energy source in the future because there are too many problems with it.

Mike Gravel on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Opposes nuclear power
Description:	Mike Gravel was the first in Congress to publicly oppose the national nuclear policy in 1970, and he used his office to organize citizen opposition, successfully persuading Ralph Nader's organization to join the fight. Senator Gravel's initial efforts, and later those of the environmental movement that had coalesced in opposition, contributed to making the production of commercial electricity through nuclear fission uneconomical. - Gravel's Campaign Website
Citations:

The Peaceful Atom (8/14/07)
Mike Gravel was the first in Congress to publicly oppose this national nuclear policy in 1970, and he used his office to organize citizen opposition, successfully persuading Ralph Nader's organization to join the fight. Senator Gravel's initial efforts, and later those of the environmental movement that had coalesced in opposition, contributed to making the production of commercial electricity through nuclear fission uneconomical.

Chuck Hagel on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports nuclear power
Description:	Senator Hagel has supported the increased use of nuclear power as an alternate energy source.
Citations:

1.	Hagel on the issues - Energy (8/14/07) Senator Hagel has supported the increased use of nuclear power, off-shore drilling, and a wider and deeper portfolio of energy resources.
2.	Energy (8/14/07) Senator Hagel has supported the increased use of nuclear power, off-shore drilling, and a wider and deeper portfolio of energy resources.

Mike Huckabee on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports nuclear power
Description:	Huckabee feels nuclear power could be a good way to achieve energy independence.
Citations:

1.	Energy Independence (8/10/07) Mike states we should look into nuclear power as well as other sources.

Dennis Kucinich on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Opposes nuclear power
Description:	"Nuclear has to be phased out. The hidden costs of nuclear are enormous -- of building these plants and storing the waste forever. It's not financially or environmentally sustainable." - Kucinich
Citations:

1.	Kucinich on the Record (8/10/07) Kucinich talks about his energy policy.

John McCain on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports nuclear power
Description:	Senator John McCain supports using nuclear power as an alternative energy source.
Citations:

Republican Presidential Debate, June 5, 2007 (8/5/07)
"Sure. I think we all do. And they ought to be reinvesting it. And one of the areas that they ought to be involved in is nuclear power. Nuclear power is safe. Nuclear power is green, does not emit greenhouse gases. Nuclear power is used on Navy ships which have sailed around the world for 60 years without an accident.

And of course we ought to be investing in alternate energy sources.

Recently there was a group of retired military officers who said that climate change and energy independence is a national security issue. It is. We've got to reduce our dependence on imported oil.

We can do it through a wide variety of alternative fuels. But we have to be serious about it and we're going to have to go to places where we have never gone before. And nuclear power is one of the major issues, but also all kinds of ethanol as well."

Ron Paul on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports nuclear power
Description:	"Reisman also explains how abolishing restrictions on coal production, natural gas production, and nuclear power would further reduce the OPEC stranglehold. By increasing the supply of these other energy sources, demand for oil would decrease and prices would drop." - Ron Paul
Citations:

1.	A Free Market in Gasoline (8/14/07) Paul talks about how our policies are binding us to OPEC

Bill Richardson on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports nuclear power
Description:	Richardson believes nuclear power should be part of the mix of energy sources in the U.S.
Citations:

1.	Richardson on the Issues (8/14/07) Believes nuclear power should be part of the mix of energy sources in the U.S.

Mitt Romney on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports nuclear power
Description:	Governor Mitt Romney supports using nuclear power to achieve energy independence.
Citations:

Republican Presidential Debate, June 5, 2007 (8/5/07)
"And that's why we have to pursue, as a strategic imperative, energy independence for America.

And it takes that Apollo project. It also takes biodiesel, biofuel, ethanol...

cellulosic ethanol, nuclear power, more drilling in ANWR.

We have to be serious also about efficiency."

Tom Tancredo on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports nuclear power
Description:	Tancredo supports nuclear power as a way to reduce carbon emissions. Tancredo also feels that nuclear power is now safer and the waste is easier to store.
Citations:

1.	Rep. Tancredo on Global Warming & Energy - Littleton, NH (8/10/07) Tancredo and his energy plan.

Fred Thompson on Nuclear Power More on this candidate

Stance:	Supports nuclear power
Description:	Thompson supports nuclear power as a method to achieve energy independence.
Citations:

1.	Tommy Thompson Addresses Energy Independence in Davenport IA (8/10/07) Tommy Thompson's outlines his energy plan.

Close Window

Become a member!
This is all you fill out. Ever.

Username:

up to 16 letters/underscores/dashes

Password:

Confirm Password:

Party Affiliation

		Close Window Candidate's first name Candidate's last name Change candidate's affiliation Candidate's official website Additional Comments:
Please enter the first and last name of the candidate who you think should be added to this site. Entering the party your candidate is affiliated with, along with their official website will make the approval process faster. Additionally, if you have any comments please enter them in the text box.

Nuclear Power

Suggest an issue which should be tracked for this election