US to turn Cold War era atomic bomb sites into clean energy production arenas - Interesting Engineering
US to turn Cold War era atomic bomb sites into clean energy production arenas
US to turn Cold War era atomic bomb sites into clean energy production arenasThe government is keen on running the grid using clean energy by 2035.Ameya Paleja| Aug 01, 2023 09:13 AM ESTCreated: Aug 01, 2023 09:13 AM ESTcultureA warning siren at Hanford Site that warns people about increased radiation levelsRonBailey/iStock Stay ahead of your peers in technology and engineering - The BlueprintBy subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Policies You may unsubscribe at any time.The largest solar power generation site in the US could be built on land which once was home to atomic bombs during the Cold War era, Reuters reported. The lands owned by the Department of Energy (DOE) are slowly being made available for clean energy projects. During the Cold War, the US built up massive stockpiles of nuclear weapons and distributed them across various states. Some of these sites remain active to this date and were recently under scrutiny from a Chinese surveillance balloon. Many sites are no longer functional but occupy large tracts of land which can be repurposed, especially for land-intensive projects such as solar and wind farms. The US government has cleared the roadmap for a few sites. See Also Related How the White House's $450 million investment is helping the US transition towards clean energy US to invest $20 billion in clean energy projects Clean energy transition could lead to metals shortage, finds new report Cleanup to Clean EnergyAs part of its goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the US government has unveiled its Cleanup to Clean Energy plan. The details of the plan are still scanty, but the plan unveiled in Washington, DC, last week said that the country aimed to power the grid with clean energy by 2035. To achieve this target, the DOE has now identified 70,000 acres (283 square km) of land across five states that can host clean energy projects. Most of this land was used as a buffer for national security purposes but will now be made available for power generation. The sites already have power customers and workforces, DOE officials told Reuters.The sites identified for potential redevelopment are Hanford Site, Richland, WashingtonIdaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, IdahoNevada Nuclear Security Site, Nye County, NevadaSavannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina and Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Carlsbad, New MexicoSites like Hanford were built in the 1940s to produce plutonium and uranium for atomic bombs but have now been decommissioned, and billions of dollars have been spent to decontaminate leaks of highly radioactive material. “These sites are all safe now, they are completely clean and ready for redevelopment,” said US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm at the event. Stock image of large solar farm facility built on uncultivable landxijian/iStock Race with ChinaIn addition to meeting its goals of clean energy, the US is also wary of how China is leading in clean energy generation. The eastern country is also already home to some of the world's biggest solar and hydel power plants and has been pushing to use expanses of the Gobi desert for energy gains. Industry members with China have also been commissioning nuclear power plants to overcome the intermittency of renewable energy sources and currently lead the world in constructing them. The US plan for clean energy also includes nuclear plants in the power generation mix. The recently concluded event also involved members from the industry that had experience in generating clean energy at capacities of 200 MW and above. The exact locations of the energy plants or the likely timelines for the execution of these projects have not been revealed for now. But the US will have to move quickly if it wants to keep up with China. HomeCultureAdd Interesting Engineering to your Google News feed.Add Interesting Engineering to your Google News feed.SHOW COMMENT (1) For You The world's fastest supercomputer with a processing power of 4 exaflops unveiledChina built 600,000 5G base stations in three months when it took US two years to build 100,000Sea change: The engineering challenges of harnessing our oceans to remove CO2Scientists look with suspicion as another study claims room-temperature superconductorMeet history's most famous short-sleepersA special new tape could make small, efficient nuclear fusion reactors possibleWhy are insects so rarely found in marine habitats? Scientists may have the answerHow insect-inspired microphones are revolutionizing our hearingDark matter search advances with new experiment to spot axions7 compelling reasons to invest in a portable air conditioner Job Board
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.