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The Solution to the United States' Energy Crisis

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When we flip a light switch, or plug our laptop or cell phone charger into the wall, we expect that electricity will flow to illuminate the room or to power up the device at the other end of the cord. But what if the power companies weren’t able to generate enough electricity to make these actions possible? As the United States’ population increases and continues to undergo economic growth, this demand for energy will only continue to grow. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that “the world’s energy needs could be 50% higher in 2030 than they are today” [1]. And while Americans only make up about 5% of the world’s population, we consume more than 20% of the world’s energy supply [2].
The fossil fuels that are used to supply over half of our country’s energy are in finite supply and are increasing in price to astronomical heights. If we hope to continue consuming energy on the scale that we currently do, we need to find a better way to produce it. Fortunately, the best contender is an energy generation form that the United States is already familiar with, albeit equally as uncomfortable with. Currently, nuclear power makes up 19% of our country’s power generation, and with community and government support, the industry could spread its wings further to help relieve the dependence we have on burning fossil fuels [3]. Many people have misconceived many ideas about nuclear power, believing that it is expensive, unsafe by its very nature, and a threat to a

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