PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS: Nuclear Power

For the past 50 years, nuclear power has been an important primary energy source for electricity. This technology is not based on burning. Instead, it uses a radioactive fuel called uranium and a process called nuclear fission.

When a uranium atom splits in two, a lot of energy is released. One atom splitting causes other atoms to split in a chain reaction. Even more energy is released. A nuclear power plant is a big container where this reaction can take place. The heat energy released during the reaction is used to make steam to drive a turbine.

Although nuclear plants don't contribute to global climate change, they do have environmental and economic costs. Great care must be taken to not release radioactivity into the environment. The used fuel must be stored for decades or even centuries before it is safe again. The cost of trying to contain radioactive materials can be very high.

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