More than 100 of California's Death Row inmates have died in the last 40 years. Barely one in 10 were executed.
A clean energy resource. Nuclear energy originates from the splitting of uranium atoms â a process called fission. This generates heat to produce steam, which is used by a turbine generator to generate electricity. Because nuclear power plants do not burn fuel, they do not produce greenhouse gas emissions. By reliably providing power 24 hours a day, nuclear energy is an important part of the energy mix necessary to meet electricity demand.
How Nuclear Energy Plants Work. As with coal, oil, or gas-fueled plants, nuclear power plants use heat and steam to generate power. Nuclear energy is created from the splitting of uranium atoms in a process called fission. Fission releases energy that can be used to make steam, and the steam is used to power a turbine to generate electricity.