In 2024, Microsoft entered into a deal to restart the nuclear power station at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. Microsoft and other tech companies are seeking new sources of energy to fuel the data centers that power artificial intelligence (AI). Data centers for AI are projected to consume as much as 15 percent of America’s electricity by 2030. Some companies are turning to nuclear power as a solution.

Nuclear power plants make electricity by heating water with a controlled nuclear reaction. Boiling water makes steam. The steam turns a turbine to generate electricity. Power lines take electricity derived from the turbine to consumers. Nuclear power has a major advantage over oil, gas, and coal: it does not contribute to climate change. And unlike wind and solar energy, nuclear power can be produced all the time, whether or not the sun shines or the wind blows.

People who are concerned about nuclear power point to safety issues. Some nuclear power plants have leaked radioactive chemicals. The chemicals are blown by the wind and can contaminate water in nearby communities. The plant at Three Mile Island, for example, was the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history. Most people do not want a nuclear plant built near them. However, supporters of nuclear power point out that burning fossil fuels like coal also causes health issues. For example, there are higher rates of asthma near power plants that burn coal. 

The biggest worry about nuclear power is a meltdown. In a meltdown, the nuclear reaction gets out of control inside the plant. It gets so hot, the building explodes or breaks apart. Clouds of poisonous chemicals spread over a huge area. At Chernobyl, in Eastern Europe, a nuclear plant meltdown in 1986 spread contamination all over Europe. The disaster in Chernobyl killed 31 people and made a large area of land unsafe to live in. Thousands more people developed cancer and suffered other physical and mental health problems after the meltdown. After the Chernobyl disaster, the U.S. stopped building new nuclear power plants.

Some people believe that new, safer power plants can prevent these safety problems. They also point out that climate change already endangers people around the world. They think it is worth a small risk to reduce our use of fossil fuels and fight climate change. Supporters of nuclear power want the U.S. to build more nuclear power plants and to consider reopening some closed plants. 

What do you think? Is nuclear power worth the risks?