Monday, November 21, 2022

A Brief Overview of Nuclear Power Generation in the United States


 


A former electrical engineer at Bechtel Power Corporation, Dianoush Emami is a longtime Santa Ana, California resident with a leadership background in the safety, quality, and engineering sectors. Dianoush Emami has overseen numerous projects, including conventional, biofuel, and nuclear power plants.


Nuclear power plants offer alternative energy sources that use the heat liberated via the decay (splitting) of radioactive atoms (uranium) to generate electricity. The erosion of radioactive particles occurs in the nuclear reactor, and some plants have more than one reactor. The heat generated from the atoms boils water and creates steam, turning turbines to generate electricity in virtually the same manner as other power plants.


The United States has the most significant number of nuclear power plants worldwide. As of 2021, the United States Energy Information Administration recognized 55 nuclear power plants across 28 states. Nuclear power historically constitutes 20 percent of the total electrical power generation in the country.