They supply nearly 20 percent of our nation's electric power, second only to coal. In some states, nuclear energy supplies over half of all electricity. And through our interconnected electric supply system, nearly every American gets some electricity from nuclear power plants. That's important for America. Nuclear energy is a secure domestic resource that reduces our dependence on imported oil, saving us billions of dollars in payments to foreign oil suppliers.
Nuclear energy is also one of the cleanest ways to produce electricity.
It doesn't create air pollution or greenhouse gases. It doesn't contribute to urban smog or acid rain. Like any industrial or scientific process, nuclear energy does produce waste. The fuel that runs nuclear power plants is made up of small, uranium pellets. These are placed inside long metal fuel rods.