nuclear power

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice gives his State of the State speech in the House Chambers in January.

Coal-dependent West Virginia eliminates ban on nuclear power

6:40pm February 08, 2022

by The Associated Press

The state's ban on nuclear plants was enacted in 1996, but nuclear power has gained support as a tool to keep climate change under control and other states are transitioning away from fossil fuels.

Science

The U.S. is divided over whether nuclear power is part of the green energy future

2:03am January 18, 2022

by The Associated Press

Nuclear power is emerging as an answer as states transition away from coal, oil and natural gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stave off climate change.

In this 2010 file photo, a worker rides a bicycle in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr. Iran's sole nuclear power plant has undergone a temporary emergency shutdown, state TV report

World News

In A First, Iran's Sole Nuclear Power Plant Undergoes Emergency Shutdown

3:49am June 21, 2021

by The Associated Press

An official from the state electric company Tavanir said over the weekend that the Bushehr plant shutdown began on Saturday and would last "for three to four days."

A historical sign memorializes the March 28, 1979, partial meltdown at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant.

National

Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Shuts Down

3:16pm September 20, 2019

by Brett Sholtis

The plant is best known for the partial meltdown of one of its nuclear reactors in 1979. The remaining reactor stopped producing electricity on Friday. Decommissioning the site will take decades.

Satellite imagery from the company Planet shows construction of a small research reactor at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh.

As Saudi Arabia Builds A Nuclear Reactor, Some Worry About Its Motives

10:58pm May 06, 2019

by Geoff Brumfiel

Saudi Arabia is building a small civilian nuclear reactor, the nation's first. Nuclear power is an important part of its energy plans. Arms control experts ask if its intention is entirely peaceful.

Queue Listen Now

The Loviisa nuclear power plant in Finland reduced its electricity output because of warmer seawater.

Hot Weather Spells Trouble For Nuclear Power Plants

4:35pm July 27, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

Multiple nuclear power facilities in Europe have reduced their electricity production because seawater, which is used to keep the reactors cool, has been warmer than usual.

An artist's rendering shows the reactor's core is about the size of a paper towel roll and could provide a decade's worth of electricity to future missions.

NASA Tests New Nuclear Reactor For Future Space Travelers

4:06pm May 03, 2018

by Geoff Brumfiel

The reactor could keep the lights on during long-duration missions far from Earth.

The Akademik Lomonosov, which the Russian energy company Rosatom calls "the world's only floating nuclear power unit," left port on Saturday.

Russia Launches Floating Nuclear Power Plant; It's Headed To The Arctic

3:33pm April 30, 2018

by Bill Chappell

It's the first nuclear power plant of its kind, Russian officials say. Called the Akademik Lomonoso, it was towed out of St. Petersburg.

Erich Berger and Mari Keto have made radioactive jewels, part of their Inheritance Project, that are unwearable by humans — and remain locked in a concrete vault equipped with radiation measurement devices.

Science
Arts

Can Nuclear Power Plants Generate Artistic Inspiration?

10:19am February 27, 2018

by Vincent Ialenti

"Nuclear" artists see motivating muses where others see only grey buildings, drab fences, and white steam piping out of concrete cooling towers, says guest commentator Vincent Ialenti.

This June 13, 2014 file photo shows construction on a new nuclear reactor at Plant Vogtle power plant in Waynesboro, Ga.

How The Dream Of America's 'Nuclear Renaissance' Fizzled

8:40am August 06, 2017

by Molly Samuel

Construction of new, modern reactors seemed to herald a new era of nuclear power expansion in the U.S. Now all but one of those projects have been canceled.