Nuclear Power is the Most Reliable Energy Source and It's Not Even Close (2024)

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Nuclear Power is the Most Reliable Energy Source and It's Not Even Close? ›

Nuclear power plants operated at full capacity more than 93% of the time in 2023—making it the most reliable energy source in America. That's about 1.5 to 2 times more reliable as natural gas (58.8%) and coal (42.1%) plants, and roughly 2.5 to 3.5 times more reliable than wind (33.5%) and solar (23.3%) plants.

Office of Nuclear Energy » Nuclear Power is the Most Reliable Energy Source and It's Not Even Close Nuclear energy is America's work horse. It's been rolling up its sleeves for six decades now to provide constant, reliable, carbon-free power to millions of Americans.

Nuclear is a zero-emission clean energy source. It generates power through fission, which is the process of splitting uranium atoms to produce energy. The heat released by fission is used to create steam that spins a turbine to generate electricity without the harmful byproducts emitted by fossil fuels.

Currently, nuclear power is the most reliable.

Almost all reports on future energy supply from major organizations suggest an increasing role for nuclear power as an environmentally benign way of producing reliable electricity on a large scale.

Nuclear energy already provides around a quarter of the world's low-carbon electricity. It offers large amount of reliable, dispatchable power providing stability and resilience to the electrical grid and backing up variable renewables such as solar and wind when sunshine or wind are lacking.

Is nuclear energy clean? Nuclear energy is sometimes referred to as a clean energy technology as it produces nearly zero carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear energy also avoids producing air pollutants that are often associated with burning fossil fuels for energy.

Nuclear power is one of the world's energy sources that emits the least greenhouse gas Its very low CO2 emission rate - four times less than solar for example - makes it an essential energy for the low-carbon transition.

But nuclear power has two key challenges that are intertwined: capital intensity and safety. Even though uranium itself is a bit of a wonder fuel, accessing its energy content has historically required large, expensive reactors and facilities.

Nuclear power is an important low-emission source of electricity, providing about 10% of global electricity generation. For those countries where it is accepted, it can complement renewables in reducing power sector emissions while also contributing to electricity security as a dispatchable power source.

What does nuclear waste do to your body? ›

Exposure to very high levels of radiation, such as being close to an atomic blast, can cause acute health effects such as skin burns and acute radiation syndrome (“radiation sickness"). It can also result in long-term health effects such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

A major environmental concern related to nuclear power is the creation of radioactive wastes such as uranium mill tailings, spent (used) reactor fuel, and other radioactive wastes. These materials can remain radioactive and dangerous to human health for thousands of years.

Nuclear Has The Highest Capacity Factor

This basically means nuclear power plants are producing maximum power more than 92% of the time during the year. That's about nearly 2 times more as natural gas and coal units, and almost 3 times or more reliable than wind and solar plants.

A major environmental concern related to nuclear power is the creation of radioactive wastes such as uranium mill tailings, spent (used) reactor fuel, and other radioactive wastes. These materials can remain radioactive and dangerous to human health for thousands of years.

In short, wind energy offers the most economical, environmental, and logistical benefits of any energy source. Look to Inspire to learn more about the benefits of renewable energy.

Problem 1: It Is Very Expensive. The video estimates that it would cost at least $100 million per year to launch one reactor's worth of spent nuclear fuel into space. With about 440 nuclear reactors around the world, it would cost around $44 billion per year to launch all of the world's spent fuel into space.