The Mysterious “Hot Hole”
If you read our last post, you may have realized just how important water is to electricity production at nuclear power plants. Because of this water need, nuclear plants are typically located near lakes, rivers or the ocean.
Most power plants use one...
Lake Temperatures Near Nuclear Plants
Duke Energy actively monitors water quality year-round. Nuclear stations generate electricity by heating water to create steam to turn turbines, which turn a generator. As part of electricity production, these stations need a way to cool this steam ...
Dry Cask Storage: An Alternative for Storing Used Fuel
McGuire Nuclear Station dry cask storage stores used fuel on site. One aspect of nuclear energy that makes it unique is the issue of used fuel storage. Used fuel is nuclear fuel that is no longer useful for sustaining a chain reaction in a reactor. ...
Nuclear Fuels Engineers Are Masters of Interior Design
Nuclear power plants in the United States produce electricity 24/7 and are baseload generating plants. Baseload power refers to generating resources that operate continuously and provide reliable power to customers, only shutting down for scheduled ...
Radiation vs. Contamination: What's the Difference?
Ever build a fire and notice falling ash dusting your hair and shoulders? That ash is certainly not something you want to smear in your hair and on your clothing. Or what about paint? When you’re painting a room, the last thing you want is to walk ...
Duke Energy's Nuclear Fleet Braves 2015 Cold Snap
The company’s nuclear power plants played a pivotal role in providing power to residential, commercial and industrial customers during the cold snap.
What are Small Modular Nuclear Reactors?
Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs) are nuclear power plants that are smaller in size than most commercial nuclear power plants today. The plants in the Duke Energy nuclear fleet are large baseload power plants, which mean they are designed to ...
Outage workers boost local economies
Each spring visitors of a special kind arrive in the sleepy little coastal town of Southport, N.C. These visitors come with great purpose and bring with them a mini-economic boom for this small town and many others like it across the entire country. ...
Going Critical is a Good Thing: Debunking Nuclear Myths
Nuclear power plants are among the safest, most affordable and environmentally friendly options for powering billions of homes around the world. So why do so many negative myths surround the industry? Let's take a look at some of the most common ...
The 411 on Operator Training and Licensing
A focus on safety, commitment and accountability – these are the core elements of an effective nuclear reactor operator. A nuclear reactor operator, senior reactor operator or anyone supervising the operation of a commercial nuclear reactor must be ...