Thread by @Paul_Davidsen

When you hear the words “clean energy,” what comes to mind?

Most people immediately think of solar or wind turbines, but Nuclear is often left out of the “clean energy” conversation despite it being the 2nd largest source of low-carbon electricity in the world behind hydropower!

1. Nuclear energy protects air quality

Nuclear is a zero-emission clean energy source. It keeps the air clean by removing thousands of tons of harmful air pollutants each year that contribute to acid rain, smog, lung cancer and cardiovascular disease.

2. Nuclear energy’s land footprint is small. Nuclear energy produces more electricity on less land than any other clean-air source.

A typical 1,000-megawatt nuclear facility in the United States needs a little more than 1 square mile to operate.

NEI says wind farms require 360 times more land area to produce the same amount of electricity & solar photovoltaic plants require 75 times more space.

3. Nuclear energy produces minimal waste
Uranium fuel comparison to other fuel sources.

It’s about 1 million times greater than that of other traditional energy sources & because of this, the amount of used nuclear fuel is not as big as you might think.

All of the used nuclear fuel produced by the U.S. nuclear energy industry over the last 60 years could fit on a football field at a depth of less than 10 yards!

The waste can also be reprocessed & recycled, in new advanced reactor designs currently being developed.