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Facts on Nuclear Power Production
Nuclear Energy in the United States
- Nuclear energy has been a reliable, economic, safe and environmentally clean source of electrical energy for the United States since technology advances in the 1970s improved the design, operation and safety of nuclear plants.
- Nuclear energy is a vital component in America's energy portfolio. One hundred and four U.S. nuclear power plants generate nearly 20 percent of the nation's electrical power.
- Nuclear power plants in the United States are licensed and regulated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. More than 30 new U.S. power plants are currently in varying stages of planning under a new licensing process.
- In 2005, nuclear energy generated 781 billion kilowatt hours of electricity.
- The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects a rise in U.S. nuclear capacity to 871 billion kilowatt hours in 2030 to meet a projected 45 percent rise in national demand.
- The EIA estimates that the United States has as much as 424 million tons of uranium ore reserves, ranking our country eighth in the world for reserves. Major reserves are found in Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Texas.
Nuclear Power Production
- Nuclear energy is produced by a controlled nuclear chain reaction called fission, which creates heat used to boil water, produce steam and drive a steam turbine to turn generators to produce electricity.
- In nuclear fission, a neutron hits the nucleus of a uranium atom, forcing it to split, which releases neutrons and a great amount of energy.
- The released neutrons then proceed to split other atoms, continuing the nuclear chain reaction.
- U-235, a uranium isotope, is the fuel most widely used by nuclear plants for fission because its atoms are easily split apart.
- Nuclear power uses enriched uranium in the form of ceramic pellets the size of a pencil eraser- each pellet contains the same amount of energy as 1,780 pounds of coal, 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas or 149 gallons of oil.
- Nuclear energy has the highest efficiency rating (90 percent efficient) of any large electricity source.
Nuclear Power & Environmental Safety
- Nuclear power is second to coal as an energy source for U.S. electricity production; unlike coal, nuclear power does not emit any gases regulated by the Clean Air Act or greenhouse gas, such as carbon dioxide.
- If the United States replaced nuclear power with fossil fuels for electricity, our country would release an estimated additional 175 million tons of carbon dioxide, 3.3 million tons of sulfur dioxide and 1.1 million tons of nitrogen oxide each year.
- Strict licensing and regulation, strong engineering and design, intensive personnel training, and thorough environmental monitoring procedures have helped give nuclear power one of the best safety records of any industry in the nation.
- Extensive security measures at power plants are required by law to help ensure the safe operation and security of nuclear materials.
- A necessary byproduct of nuclear power plant operations is used nuclear fuel. All radioactive materials, emissions and wastes involved with nuclear power are regulated by the federal and state authorities, and stored in licensed and approved facilities for safe disposal.
Nuclear Power & Public Health
- Approximately 82 percent of the average American's total annual radiation exposure comes from natural sources - such as radon and cosmic and terrestrial radiation.
- Less than one-tenth of one percent of the average American's exposure to radiation comes from nuclear power plant operations.
- Dental and medical x-rays, smoke detectors, television sets, and airplane travel all involve higher doses of radiation than living in proximity to a nuclear power plant.
- Nuclear plant workers may receive exposures that are, on average, about one-third of that received annually by commercial airline pilots flying regularly at high altitudes, where the atmosphere's shielding effect for cosmic radiation is reduced.
For More Information on Nuclear Power:
Sources:
Nuclear Power in America: Today, Tomorrow, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Energy: Powering America's Future, Nuclear Energy Institute
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