05/24/2026
Nuclear Energy and Sutherland: What the Research Actually Shows
Questions are being raised in our community about the safety of nuclear power, and they deserve a thoughtful, well-researched response. Here is what we found.
When most people think of nuclear power and safety, three names come to mind: Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Three Mile Island. These incidents are real, they matter, and no honest conversation about nuclear energy should dismiss them. It is also worth noting that a 1957 Soviet event called the Kyshtym disaster — involving nuclear waste storage, not a power plant reactor — occasionally enters this conversation. Taken together, these represent the most serious nuclear incidents in history.
Now consider this: nuclear reactors have been operating commercially since the mid-1950s. There are currently around 417 operational reactors worldwide, with an average age of 32 years. Globally, nuclear reactors as a whole have been operating in excess of 15,000 reactor-years, and during this entire period there have been only three serious accidents — and only one had human casualties. That is an extraordinary safety record by any measure.
Here in the United States, the picture is equally reassuring. The US operates 94 nuclear reactors — more than any other country — generating about 19% of our national electricity. Approximately 4 million Americans live within 10 miles of an operating nuclear power plant. Roughly one-third of all Americans live within 50 miles of an operating nuclear power plant. These are our neighbors, living their daily lives, in communities that have made peace with — and in many cases actively embraced — nuclear energy as part of their local economy and identity. The plants that serve them are among the most heavily regulated industrial facilities in the world, overseen continuously by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
As for Three Mile Island specifically — the incident that hit closest to home for Americans — the reactor was severely damaged but radiation was contained and there were no adverse health or environmental consequences. The NRC determined that average radiation exposure to nearby residents was about 1 millirem — roughly equivalent to a chest X-ray. The undamaged second reactor at Three Mile Island continued operating until 2019, then was restarted in 2024 to help power Microsoft data centers. That restart is a signal of something important: nuclear energy is experiencing a genuine renaissance, driven by clean energy goals and the enormous power demands of the modern economy.
What NPPD is now proposing for consideration in Sutherland takes evolution of nuclear power generation even further. A small modular reactor is not a Chernobyl-era design. SMRs use passive safety systems that rely on natural circulation to cool the reactor even during accidents, with little or no operator intervention required — and they need less space and cooling water than traditional large plants. This is purpose-built, next-generation technology.
Legitimate questions remain — about safety, water use and fishing, about property values, about economic agreements — and our community deserves clear answers to all of them. NPPD has stated publicly that they will not site a plant anywhere it is not wanted or embraced. That means right now, during this engagement process, is exactly the time to ask hard questions and expect honest answers.
The Sutherland community's instinct to ask is exactly right. The Sutherland Chamber of Commerce is committed to partnering with NPPD to ensure those questions are asked, heard, and answered with the transparency and respect our community deserves.
