- Nuclear energy comes from uranium, a nonrenewable resource that must be mined.
- Nuclear power plants use “nuclear fission” (the process of splitting an atom in two). “Nuclear fusion” has the potential to be safer but has not yet been developed to operate within a large power plant.
- Every 18 to 24 months, a power plant must shut down to remove its spent uranium fuel, which becomes radioactive waste.
- 13% of the world’s electricity comes from nuclear power plants that emit little to no greenhouse gases.
- Nuclear energy is being used in more than 30 countries around the world and even powers Mars rovers.