Show BUSINESS Wt I I ENERGY I DILEMMA M A militant group known a as the Clamshell Alliance recently staged a demonstration against the use of nuclear power to generate electricity Fourteen hundred protestors were arrested in Seabrook N. N Il II II on the site of a nuclear power plant now In an lin embryo state of construction While it may be argued that the groups group's concern for the environment and nuclear safety is admirable a range long view of energy requirements may dictate wide use of such plants in years ahead TWENTY FIRST CENTURY It may be difficult to visualize the year 2000 but in only 23 years we will be at the turn of the century In that relatively short span of time lime it is a certainty certainty certainty that the country will require considerably more energy if we are to continue to progress The Census Bureau has predicted a 17 percent increase in the US U.S. population by the year 2000 and the labor force will surely increase even more Hence if today's life standards are to be maintained it is estimated that energy needs will be about tripled by this century's end Of energy requirements electric power will make up about one-half one the total with demand some four times that of today FOSSIL FUEL AVAILABILITY Fuel for power generation could be a problem by the year 2000 even assuming the physical generating plants will willbe willbe willbe be available Coal our most plentiful fossil fuel will be a mainstay in such generation But even if the goal of tripled production is reached coal would account for only about 40 percent of year 2000 fuel needs Oil and natural gas will also have limits not too much in excess of today's usage since these valuable assets are being depleted at an alarming rate Foreign oil would be available but our experience with Arab oil embargo might preclude reliance on imported crude Thus oil and gas may account for only al about ut 10 percent of the he year 2000 fuel needs This figure would also include hydro hydro- power By the turn of the century it itis itis itis is to be hoped d that some progress will have been made in possible sources of power such as solar energy and wind-power wind generation But at best these might provide another 10 percent of requirements All of which adds up to a shortfall of 40 percent of electric power needs 23 years from now If the foregoing premises are reasonably correct and no as- as yet-unknown yet sources of energy emerge it would appear that nuclear energy must fill the void J PROS PRO'S AND ANI C CONs CON's s 's Groups such as the Clamshell Alliance generally base their arguments on safety and envIronmental environmental en en- considerations The threat of a nuclear a accident releasing radioactive material into the air and water is the prime concern of the groups While there have been no such tragedies to date a runaway reactor last year came perilously close to such a fate before being shut down The nuke anti groups fear that improper operating i j procedures and poor design may exist in other reactors now j s sin in production under construction con- con or on the drawing i boards Plant and the possible ill effects or returning heated cooling waters to intake i sources are arc also of concern On the other side or the coin are the advantages of nuclear i power generation Over the long term annual savings in oil and l coal would be in terms of a billion barrels and millions of tons Costs of nuclear power are becoming competitive and consciousness of safety and and environmental factors is is growing S The consensus us of opinion of or utility executives and nd many others appears to be that this l. l country and other nations nation may fl face a harsh energy crisis in a i relatively few Cew years unless accelerated development of or new sources of power is un un- 3 In spite of or contrary environmental environmental en en- r opinions nuclear power would seem to be lie the most advantageous solution over the near to intermediate term lerm |