Frequently asked questions - Nuclear
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Question:
Lately I’ve noticed interest in nuclear power is increasing with talk of new nuclear power plants in Ontario, New Brunswick and Alberta. How many reactors are there in Canada? The United States? World wide? What percentage of electricity is generated through nuclear energy?
Answer:
Canada has 22 nuclear reactors, of which 18 are currently operational, in five generating facilities: Bruce, Pickering and Darlington in Ontario; Gentilly 2 in Quebec and Point Lepreau in New Brunswick. Nuclear power provides about 12 per cent of the electricity generated in Canada.
There are 64 nuclear generating stations in the United States with 103 operating nuclear reactors generating about 19 percent of the electricity generated in the United States.
Worldwide, there are 493 nuclear reactor in 31 countries providing about 15 per cent of the electricity generated in the world.
There are 64 nuclear generating stations in the United States with 103 operating nuclear reactors generating about 19 percent of the electricity generated in the United States.
Worldwide, there are 493 nuclear reactor in 31 countries providing about 15 per cent of the electricity generated in the world.
Question:
What impact on the environment does nuclear power have?
Answer:
Nuclear power plants generate about 15 per cent of Canada’s electricity. These plants, mostly located in Ontario, supply 50 per cent of the province’s electricity with no emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides or carbon dioxide—a contributor to global climate change—or sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that cause smog and acid rain. The Canadian Nuclear Association estimates that emissions from the electricity sector in Canada would have been twice as high over the last 30 years if Canada did not have its fleet of nuclear reactors.
But like all our energy options, using nuclear energy does have environmental consequences. Nuclear power plants use large amounts of water for cooling, and there are significant potential environmental and financial risks from the long-term management of nuclear fuel waste. Mining and milling of uranium ore affect the land and release small quantities of radon, a toxic gas, to the atmosphere.
But like all our energy options, using nuclear energy does have environmental consequences. Nuclear power plants use large amounts of water for cooling, and there are significant potential environmental and financial risks from the long-term management of nuclear fuel waste. Mining and milling of uranium ore affect the land and release small quantities of radon, a toxic gas, to the atmosphere.