Nuclear energy is America’s largest source of clean-air, carbon-free electricity, producing no greenhouse gases or air pollutants. Because nuclear power plants do not burn anything to make electricity they do not produce emissions such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx) or carbon dioxide (CO2). In fact, new nuclear generating capacity and increased production at existing nuclear plants prevent greenhouse gases and air pollutants that would otherwise come from fossil fuel plants.
A recent German study comparing CO2 emissions from various electricity sources over their entire lifecycle (including construction and fuel acquisition and processing) determined that nuclear power has a very low environmental impact and is extremely eco-efficient. For each kilowatt-hour of electricity generated, nuclear energy’s environmental impact is comparable to that of wind turbines, a third less than a hydro-electric plant and one quarter that of photovoltaic panels. Compared to fossil-fuel plants, nuclear’s environmental impact is one-fifth the amount of a gas co-generation plant and one-thirtieth the impact of a coal-powered plant.*
Additionally, wind and solar are much more land-intensive than nuclear power. Assuming a capacity factor of 30 percent, it would take more than 2,300 three megawatt wind turbines to potentially match the output of a 2,300 MW two-unit nuclear plant. If placed offshore, this many turbines would require three separate rows spanning the entire coast of South Carolina.
Likewise, if we tried to match this same 2,300 MW plant with solar cells, given a 20 percent capacity factor and 6 acres of arrays to produce a single megawatt of solar power, it would take up 69,000 acres, more than all of the land mass of Brooklyn, NY.
In order to match the total U.S. generation from all 104 nuclear plants, one would need enough solar cells to cover the total land area of New Jersey, or enough wind farms to cover an area equal to West Virginia.
Nuclear also stands out on the environmental front by merit of its compact and easily-manageable fuel source: small uranium pellets which have tremendous amounts of electrical generation capacity. In fact, all fuel used by a 2,700 MW nuclear plant during its 40-year initial license period would fit into an approximately 40 foot cube. By comparison, if the power generated by this plant used coal or natural gas during those same 40 years, it would consume 8.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (enough to fill 120,000 domed stadiums) or 392 million tons of coal (which would fill almost 4 million railroad cars).
*Uwe R. Fritsche, Oko-Institut, Institute for Applied Ecology, Jan. 2006
In order to match the total U.S. generation from all 104 nuclear plants, one would need enough solar cells to cover the total land area of New Jersey, or enough wind farms to cover an area equal to West Virginia.
