Nuclear energy is generated by the splitting, or fissioning, of atoms of uranium or heavier elements. The fission process releases heat, which is used to produce steam to drive a turbine to generate electricity. The operation of a nuclear reactor and the related electricity-generating equipment is only one part of an interconnected set of activities.
The production of a reliable supply of electricity from nuclear fission requires mining, milling, and transporting uranium; enriching uranium (increasing the percentage of the uranium isotope U-235) and packing it in appropriate form; building and maintaining the reactor and associated generating equipment; and treating and disposing of spent fuel. These activities require extremely sophisticated and interactive industrial processes and many specialized skills.
The Palo Verde Nuclear Power Facility in Arizona, like other nuclear power plants, was built to harness nuclear energy for controlled use by humans. Nuclear power is a controversial energy source: it is inexpensive and creates no air pollution, but the radioactivity released during accidents at nuclear power plants has caused deaths and environmental damage.
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