Fission vs. Fusion – What’s the Difference?
Look up during the day to see one of the most powerful examples of a nuclear reactor: the sun. Inside the sun, fusion reactions take place at very high temperatures and enormous gravitational pressures
The foundation of nuclear energy is harnessing the...
Capacity factor – it's a measure of reliability
One way the energy industry measures the reliability of power plants is by regularly calculating capacity factors.
Capacity factor measures how often a plant is running at maximum power. It’s expressed as a percentage and calculated by dividing the actual unit of electricity output by the maximum possible output. This ratio is important because it indicates how fully a generating unit is used.
Do you know the 5 steps in the early life of uranium?
So you probably know by now nuclear power generation starts with a uranium atom, but do you know where that uranium atom comes from? Or how uranium gets to a nuclear plant? Or what happens to it when it gets to the plant?
Here’s the life cycle of...
What you need to know about the different types of nuclear reactors
Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 27, 2012. It has been revised, updated and republished.
Nuclear energy accounts for almost 50% of the Carolinas electricity with zero carbon emissions.Through the fission process, our highly...
Think Green this St. Patrick's Day!
What do nuclear energy and St. Patrick’s Day have in common?
They both celebrate green!
On St. Patrick’s Day, it’s hard not to be in a green state of mind. This year, when you reach for that green shirt, embrace your inner Irish and think “green” by...
How are you going to learn during S.C. STEM Education month?
To celebrate S.C. STEM Education Month, Duke Energy Nuclear has partnered with Clemson University and Roper Mountain Science Center to offer virtual STEM activities to children of all ages.
Explore different activities below based on your age:
Full STEAM ahead with holiday crafts!
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
-Clement Clarke Moore
Breaking from our usual programming is this fun, holiday special
With Halloween festivities around the corner, this is a perfect time for you, and children of all ages, to incorporate science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) into your celebrations. From picking out unique costumes to carving pumpkins,...
Celebrate STEM Day with the EXPLORE mobile lab
To celebrate National STEM Day, South Carolina’s Duke Energy nuclear sites have partnered with Clemson University’s EXPLORE Mobile Lab to bring STEM into your home with a fun, virtual activity. On Nov. 9, students ages 10-14 can participate in this...
Solving the wonderful mystery of a nuclear startup
One of the many questions we receive from community members is about the startup process of a nuclear reaction in our plants. For those of us who aren’t nuclear operators or engineers, it can seem like a mysterious process. To help shed some light on this mystery, here’s a highly simplified explanation for how it works.
