Fossil fuels still dominate
as source of energy

April 26, 1996
Web posted at: 6:30 p.m. EDT

From CNN Correspondent David Mattingly

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Ten years ago, the worst nuclear accident in history spread a cloud of radiation over much of Europe.

Many predicted the disaster would end the use of nuclear power and boost energy alternatives such as solar and wind power. But the predictions have yet to come to pass. (1.1M QuickTime movie)

For decades, Americans heard starkly different versions of their energy future. Each new president set a new direction for energy policy.

"We must seek to reduce the amount of time required to bring nuclear plants on line," President Nixon urged. (51K AIFF sound or 51K WAV sound)

"There is no longer any question that solar energy is both feasible and cost-effective," President Carter later said. (72K AIFF sound or 72K WAV sound)

But years after electric utilities invested billions in nuclear power and environmentalists promoted solar, wind, and other energy alternatives, neither industry has made a dent in an economy still dominated by fossil fuels.

"There's still significant commercial barriers to the development of solar and other renewable forms of energy, but the fact is, it's making progress," said Scott Denman of the Safe Energy Communication Council.

Nuclear advocates said they geared up for a jump in electric demand that never happened.

"With the oil embargo in 1973, we saw a major change in the projections of electricity and energy and energy use overall and the decrease in both the need for energy and a decrease therefore in the need for electricity," said Joe Colvin of the Nuclear Energy Institute.

Coal, oil and natural gas prices have stayed low, removing incentives to find other ways to generate electricity. Burning fossil fuels still accounts for over 70 percent of the nation's electric power.

The Carter administration and its new Energy Department heavily backed alternatives, but that support ended in the early years of the Reagan administration.

Solar and wind power entrepreneurs soon fell by the wayside, prompting critics to say alternatives couldn't compete without government help. Supporters countered that their nuclear rivals enjoy a steady stream of federal backing.

"It's a real mismatch in terms of the amount of money that the government has put into nuclear power," said Denman.

The nuclear industry has had its own high-profile problems. While the industry touts what it calls a new, safer reactor design, no new plants have been ordered since the 1970s. Many older plants now face retirement age and billions in shutdown costs. The industry is on a mission to counter a perception that nuclear power is both a financial and safety risk.

"We think nuclear provides a key option that as utilities we need to take advantage of, because it is the safe generation source," said Colvin.

Both groups say they've got the answer to pollution from fossil fuels.

A third option, hydroelectric power, provides 8 percent of the power supply but draws criticism for the impact of dams on rivers and fish, including salmon.

While alternatives are catching on in the developing world, wind and solar provide less than 1 percent of the U.S. power supply. Advocates say it may be a while before solar energy has its day in the sun.

Related stories

• Chernobyl survivors recall a decade of death and denial - April 26, 1996
• G-7 leaders agree to seek nuclear test ban - Apr. 20, 1996

Related sites

• Chernobyl and its consequences - from the Kurchatov Institute, Moscow
• Renewable Fuels Association
• Solstice: Sustainable Energy and Development Online!
• American Solar Energy Society
• Investigating Wind Energy from the Franklin Institute

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