Contrary to what many people presume, nuclear energy has been safely produced for a very long time. Nuclear energy is not the same as a nuclear bomb, and won’t turn your neighborhood into the next Chernobyl. Instead, nuclear energy provides a very viable — and green — alternative to fossil fuels.

What are Nuclear Power Plants?

Similar to most energy sources, including fossil fuel combustion, wind power, and hydropower, nuclear power generates energy by heating water to its boiling point, releasing steam, the gaseous form of water, which moves turbines connected to generators to produce electricity. These turbines produce electricity by twisting a coil within the connected generator that is surrounded by a magnetic field. The magnetic field lines travel across the coil, creating an alternating current, or a direct current depending on the generator, thus creating an electric current. 

The only difference between nuclear power plants and fossil fuel power plants is that nuclear power plants heats the water by splitting the atom.

How do Nuclear Power Plants Work?

In order to heat the water to convert it to steam to turn the turbines and generate electricity, nuclear power plants split atoms. Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter, and are so incredibly small that the human eye can’t see them even under a powerful microscope. There are 118 unique atoms, one for each element on the periodic table. 

An atom is made up of a nucleus, the center of the atom that contains all of its mass, which is made up of protons and neutrons. Protons are positively charged particles, and neutrons have no charge. The nucleus is surrounded by electrons, negatively charged particles. All atoms seek to have a balanced, neutral charge. Without a balanced charge, atoms become unstable. Atoms bond by sharing or trading electrons. 

Through nuclear fission, the process of splitting the atom, a neutron is fired at an atom, exciting it. This makes the atom unstable, breaking the nucleus into two smaller nuclei. Through this process, an enormous and disproportionate amount of kinetic energy is released. Additional neutrons are typically produced during nuclear fission, which can start a chain reaction that generates a massive amount of heat. The reason uranium and plutonium atoms are used is because they are incredibly heavy, releasing a massive amount of energy because of Einstein's famous law: energy equals mass times the speed of light squared, or E=MC^2. 

Thanks to the massive amount of heat generated by these atoms, there is only a small amount of fuel needed to generate huge amounts of electricity. 

Why Use Nuclear Energy?

There are a multitude of reasons to use nuclear energy. First, nuclear power plants do not release carbon dioxide, CO2, into the atmosphere. The release of CO2 into the atmosphere from the use of fossil fuels causes the greenhouse gas effect, warming the planet's climate, which is leading to habitat destruction, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and many more disastrous climate change impacts. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear energy does not release hazardous carbon emissions.

In addition, nuclear power plants can operate for long periods of time without refueling, making nuclear energy incredibly stable. Nuclear energy is also quite energy dense, meaning only a small amount of fuel is needed to produce huge amounts of electricity. As a result, nuclear power plants can be quite small, reducing their land footprint and their impact on the environment.

Why are People Reluctant to Adopt Nuclear Energy?

Most of the apprehension to nuclear energy stems from a few high-profile events that occurred at nuclear power plants, such as the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine. These fears are genuinely misplaced, as the Chernobyl incident was a result of identifiable mistakes. For example, the power plant was poorly designed by engineers. Steam bubbles formed in the reactor, making it unstable if water levels dropped too much, which is exactly what happened when the plant decided to undergo a power outage test. In addition, the operators at the plant were not well-trained, and they lacked the necessary skills and equipment to handle the situation. 

All of these risks could be completely curbed through proper training, extensive design analysis, and well-prepared teams ready to handle any problem that may occur.

With all the new advancements in technology and nuclear energy in recent years, it’s time to reconsider the potential for nuclear energy. Helping the public gain a better understanding of both the benefits and safety of nuclear energy will dramatically expedite the successful transition from fossil fuels.