How power is generated from nuclear energy

Nuclear Energy Is Extraordinary Nuclear energy comes from splitting atoms in a reactor to heat water into steam, turn a turbine and generate electricity. Ninety-two nuclear reactors in 28states generate nearly 20 percent of the nation’s electricity, all without carbon emissions because reactors use uranium, not fossil fuels. These plants are always on: well-operated to avoid interruptions and built to withstand extreme weather, supporting the grid 24/7. All that power and potential from a tiny atom. Benefits of Nuclear Energy Nuclear energy offers many advantages as the emissions-free workhorse of our energy grid. Its unique value cannot be found in any other energy source. • Nuclear protects national security. U.S. leadership in nuclear energy maintains safety and nonproliferation standards globally, supports a resilient electrical grid at home,and fuels a strong navy. • Nuclear fights climate change. Nuclear energy provides large amounts of 24/7 carbon-free electricity now, which is irreplaceable in protecting the environment. • Nuclear ensures U.S. leadership in technology. The United States pioneered nuclear energy for the world and, with continued leadership, can respond to growing clean energy demand worldwide with advanced reactors. • Nuclear produces electricity reliably. Around-the-clock electricity is a must for our nation to prosper in the 21st century. Clean, reliable nuclear energy is a critical part of U.S. infrastructure because it runs nonstop for 18-24 mon...

Nuclear energy is the energy in the nucleus, or core, of an atom. Atoms are tiny units that make up all matter in the universe, and energy is what holds the nucleus together. There is a huge amount of energy in an atom's dense nucleus. In fact, the power that holds the nucleus together is officially called the " strong force." Nuclear energy can be used to create electricity, but it must first be released from the atom. In the process of nuclear fission, atoms are split to release that energy. A nuclear reactor, or power plant, is a series of machines that can control nuclear fission to produce electricity. The fuel that nuclear reactors use to produce nuclear fission is pellets of the element uranium. In a nuclear reactor, atoms of uranium are forced to break apart. As they split, the atoms release tiny particles called fission products. Fission products cause other uraniumatoms to split, starting a chain reaction. The energy released from this chain reaction creates heat. The heat created by nuclear fission warms the reactor's cooling agent. A cooling agent is usually water, but some nuclear reactors use liquid metal or molten salt. The cooling agent, heated by nuclear fission, produces steam. The steam turns turbines, or wheels turned by a flowing current. The turbines drive generators, or engines that create electricity. Rods of material called nuclear poison can adjust how much electricity is produced. Nuclear poisons are materials, such as a type of the element xenon...

Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Ohio. President-elect Joe Biden comes into office at a time when phasing out fossil fuels is critical. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that we must keep the planet from warming more than 1.5˚C above pre-industrial levels by 2030. Every pathway the IPCC envisioned to achieve this goal requires an increase in nuclear energy—of 59 to 106 percent more than 2010 levels by 2030. Biden’s Nuclear energy’s role in fighting climate change Nuclear power is the second largest source of clean energy after hydropower. The energy to mine and refine the uranium that fuels nuclear power and manufacture the concrete and metal to build nuclear power plants is usually supplied by fossil fuels, resulting in CO2 emissions; however, nuclear plants do not emit any CO2 or air pollution as they operate. And despite their fossil fuel consumption, their carbon footprints are almost as low as those of renewable energy. In the last 50 years, nuclear energy has precluded the creation of 60 gigatons of carbon dioxide, according to the International Energy Agency. Without nuclear energy, the power it generated would have been supplied by fossil fuels, which would have increased carbon emissions and resulted in air pollution that could have caused millions more deaths each year. The state of nuclear energy today Around the world, 440 nuclear reactors currently provide over 10 percent of global electricity. In the U.S., nuclear power plants have g...