ENVS 1126 Chapter : Chapter 15
Document Summary
Oil and natural gas are limited in supply. Wind and solar energy generate only small amounts of electricity. Non-fossil fuel energy sources need to be developed. After wwii, the us government led the world into the nuclear age. The government researched, developed, and promoted nuclear power plants. The nuclear regulatory commission (nrc) sets and enforces safety standards of nuclear plants. Construction was terminated even after spending billions of dollars. 28 us reactors have been permanently shut down. Since the 70s few new plants have been built- 100 plants now operate in the us. 2014 the us has 100 operating plants. Us plants generate 20% of us electrical power. Nuclear energy is different from burning fuels or other chemical reactions: change at the atomic level forms new elements generates energy. Nuclear power controls the nuclear reactions: energy is released as heat and boils water to steam, steam turns a turbogenerator, plants are always operational (except during refueling)
