The Effects of Nuclear Power Plants

Since their inception in the 1950s, nuclear power plants have produced a number of effects---some beneficial, some not. They have proven to be strong, reliable sources of electric power that have added no greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Nuclear plants have provided steady employment and economic benefits to their local communities. They also generate tons of radioactive waste and, like their fossil-fueled counterparts, large amounts of waste heat.

Economical Rates

• The cost of electricity produced by nuclear power plants compares favorably to that generated by fossil fuels or some renewable sources. According to the World Nuclear Association, it costs 1.87 cents per kilowatt-hour to produce electricity from nuclear sources, lower than coal, gas or oil. While the final cost to the customer depends on other factors, including local taxes and power grid maintenance, nuclear energy remains economically attractive.

Thermal Pollution

• A nuclear plant and a coal-fired plant both turn water to steam and use it to run a turbine generator. While this arrangement works well, its efficiency is limited to about 40 percent. The remaining 60 percent of the plant's energy becomes heat, not electricity, and the plant has to remove the heat. Many nuclear plants use the familiar tall cooling towers. Others cool with river water. Warmed water discharged back into a river raises its temperature, reducing its oxygen-carrying capacity and harming fish.

Accumulation of Radioactive Waste

• A typical nuclear power plant produces radioactive waste in the form of unused fuel and the by-products of nuclear reactions. Some manufacturers can use these materials, such as americium for smoke detectors. The nuclear plant disposes of the rest in a complex process that takes years. It will remain dangerously radioactive for thousands of years. Plans to permanently store the waste remain politically controversial, because communities do not want it kept or shipped near them.

Reliable Power

• Nuclear power plants provide a 'base load' capability, that is, they run reliably 24/7, providing most or all of a community's electricity needs. The community can then supplement the nuclear plant with smaller wind farms or solar plants for periods of peak usage. A typical nuclear plant with a rating of one gigawatt can provide power for 750,000 homes. Only coal-powered plants have comparable capacities.