Clean
Nuclear Energy is Clean and Good for the Environment
Nuclear energy has perhaps the lowest impact on the environment of any energy source, protecting our air, land, water and wildlife. It produces virtually no harmful greenhouse gases, isolates its waste from the environment and requires less area to produce the same amount of electricity as other sources. Providing more than 70 percent of the country’s emission-free electricity, nuclear energy is helping to keep our air clean.
Nuclear Energy is Clean:
- Nuclear energy facilities produce no gases such as nitrogen oxide or sulfur dioxide that could threaten our atmosphere by causing ground-level ozone formation, smog and acid rain.
- Areas surrounding nuclear facilities provide an excellent habitat for all species of plants and animals because the areas around nuclear energy facilities are often developed as wetlands that allow trees, flowers, and grasses to thrive and provide nesting areas for waterfowl and other birds.
- Water discharged from nuclear energy facilities contains no harmful pollutants and meets regulatory standards for temperature designed to protect aquatic life. This water, used for cooling, never comes in contact with radioactive materials.
- One nuclear energy facility with a footprint of one square mile creates the same amount of energy as 20 square miles of solar panels or 1,200 windmills.
- Nuclear energy accounts for 54 percent of green jobs in the electric utility sector.
