ABSTRACT
A nuclear power plant generates electricity like any other steam-electric power plant: water is heated and the steam generated is used to turn turbines that produce electricity. There are 65 nuclear power plants in operation in the United States and a total of 104 commercial nuclear reactors; some of these plants have more than one reactor. Emissions for nuclear power plants are lower than any other renewable energy plant. The technological optimism continued throughout the 1960s as utility companies promoted nuclear power as economical, environmentally friendly, and safe. An examination of accidents at nuclear power plants may provide a more coherent picture of the risks than risk calculations. The National Research Council completed a literature review of peer-reviewed studies examining the relationship between low-dose radiation and cancer among workers at nuclear power plants and among those potentially affected by environmental radiation from nuclear accidents.
