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In terms of the environment, nuclear power is much better. Fission plants emit no greenhouse gasses or carbon, and -all- of the waste can be completely contained onsite. Living next to a coal plant would actually expose you to much much more radiation than living next to a nuclear plant, because the airborne effluents produced by burning coal is highly radioactive.

It's one of those things people need to get educated about. The coal industry spends millions to spook everyone about fission, and it makes me cringe to see highly advanced fission systems like in Germany and Japan be swept away by fear and the extraction industry Propaganda.

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How many times greater is the amount of electrical energy produced in the US by coal burning power plants than by nuclear power plants?

Coal burning power plants in the US produce around 4 times more electrical energy compared to nuclear power plants.


How much coal does a nuclear power station use per year?

A nuclear power station does not use coal to generate the heat to generate electric power. That nuclear power station uses a nuclear fission reactor as the heat source, and it will use no coal at all. There is an indirect use of coal by nuclear power plants. For example, in the United States, nearly all of the fuel for nuclear plants is enriched using power from a dedicated coal burning power plant. That plant, interestingly, is rated as having the highest level of pollutants of any coal plant in the country. Nevertheless, the amount of coal used is very, very small, when considered in terms of its amount per power consumed. Nuclear power plants also consume fossil fuels in many other ways during their lifetimes. These include construction, mining, refinement, enrichment (as mentioned above), decommissioning, transportation and operations, decommissioning, and waste disposal. Any of these could consume some amount of coal. Current estimates of the greenhouse gas emissions related to nuclear power plants seem to average about a quarter the amount produced by combined cycle natural gas plants with cogeneration, or about a tenth of that of coal plants.


How many coal power plants are worth one nuclear power plant?

The present nuclear units in the US go up to 1100 MWe, larger ones are planned, up to 1600MWe. So coal plants are somewhat similar, but on one site you could have several units so making a larger total. Most nuclear sites have two units.


What waste problems of nuclear power plants is NOT a problem with a coal-burning power plant?

Nuclear power plants produce radioactive waste, which remains hazardous for thousands of years, unlike the waste produced by coal-burning power plants. Coal plants generate larger quantities of more immediate pollutants like sulfur dioxide, mercury, and particulate matter, which can have significant health and environmental impacts.


How many nuclear power plants in west Virginia?

There are no nuclear power plants in West Virginia. The state relies mainly on coal, natural gas, and renewable energy sources for its electricity generation.

Related Questions

What is an advantage of coal power plants over nuclear power plants?

Coal Power plants are cheaper to build.


What is an advantage of nuclear power plants over coal power plant?

Coal Power plants are cheaper to build.


Compare and contrast coal and nuclear power plant?

Coal and nuclear power plants are both used to generate electricity, but they differ in terms of energy source and environmental impact. Coal power plants burn coal to produce heat, while nuclear power plants use nuclear reactions to generate heat. Nuclear power plants produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to coal plants, but they create radioactive waste that needs to be carefully stored. Coal power plants are cheaper to build and operate, but they contribute to air pollution and climate change.


Do nuclear power plants pollute more than coal power plants?

No. Nuclear power is more efficient because nuclear power is used as splitting atoms, making big bursts of energy, whereas coal power is simply burning coal. So nuclear power uses uranium fission to create energy (electricity), whereas coal power burns coal, emitting carbon. (Mind you, nuclear energy leaves behind radioactive waste - that is arguably easier to deal with for the time being. Not to mention that accidents at nuclear plants can have devastating environmental effects.


Which produces more radioactivity in the atmosphere coal fire power plants or nuclear power plants?

Coal-fired power plants produce more radioactive material in the atmosphere than nuclear power plants. This is because coal contains naturally occurring radioactive elements like uranium and thorium that are released during combustion. Nuclear power plants produce radioactive waste, but the containment and storage of this waste is carefully managed to minimize its impact on the environment.


In what ways are nuclear power plants and coal power plants similar in terms of their operational processes and environmental impacts?

Nuclear power plants and coal power plants are similar in that they both generate electricity by heating water to produce steam, which drives turbines to generate power. However, they differ in the source of heat used - nuclear plants use uranium fuel rods while coal plants burn coal. Both types of plants produce waste that can harm the environment, such as air pollution and water contamination.


How do the three types of power plants make electricity?

Nuclear, coal-fired, and hydroelectric power plants provide electricity.


How many times greater is the amount of electrical energy produced in the US by coal burning power plants than by nuclear power plants?

Coal burning power plants in the US produce around 4 times more electrical energy compared to nuclear power plants.


What percent of nuclear powerplants make energy in the US by coal?

Zero percent of nuclear power plants make energy by coal, US or otherwise.


What are the different kinds of power plants?

Coal fired, Nuclear Power, Gas Fired, Hydro, Wind Power.


What waste problems of nuclear power plants is NOT a problem with a coal burning power plant?

fear of the waste.


How many nuclear power plants are in Alberta?

There are none, Because we use coal or gasoline to power our generators.