The three major categories of energy for electricity generation are fossil fuels (coal,

natural gas, and petroleum), nuclear energy, and renewable energy sources. Most
electricity is generated with steam turbines using fossil fuels, nuclear, biomass,
geothermal, and solar thermal energy. Other major electricity generation technologies
include gas turbines, hydro turbines, wind turbines, and solar photovoltaics.

One of our most common uses of hydrocarbons is as fuel. (See Figure 14.1.) The
combustion of fossil fuels gives us the energy we need to travel and to keep warm in
cold climates. Fossil fuel combustion is also an important source of energy in the
construction and manufacturing Industries. As well, many power plants burn natural
gas when generating electricity. Even goldsmiths use hydrocarbons, such as butane, as
a heat source when crafting gold jeweler. At home, we often burn fossil fuels, such as
natural gas, to cook our food.

As the world progresses, the use of oil becomes increasingly worrying. Scientists have
discovered the negative effects of oil, such as climate change and disruption of wildlife
habitats. However, there is a different form of energy that can replace the use of oil
called nuclear energy. It is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity, which is
obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay, and nuclear fusion reactions. It is a more
sustainable and reliable energy source than oil and is better than some renewable
sources, such as wind or solar. It also produces minimal waste because it is energy
dense. One uranium pellet, around one inch talk, is equivalent to 120 gallons of oil.
Here are the detailed reasons why nuclear energy can be our primary alternative to
oil.

Why then are we still using fossil fuels to such a large extend? The answer is simple;
because this is cheaper than any type of reasonable alternative we now know. Some
environmental scientists predict that fossil fuel prices will increase in the coming
century because of scarcity. This may cause an eventual transfer to renewable energy
sources. According to Bjorn Lomborg, this will eventually happen. The IPCC is not sure
whether a fossil fuel future can be entirely ruled out.

Over a billion people around the world lack access to electricity, and increasing fossil
fuel-based generation will not fix this. Coal and nuclear power plants are expensive
boondoggles. Communities living in energy poverty are continuously left in the dark
without access to the grids corporations sell power to industrial users and for export
to recoup the costs. The enormous cost of building nuclear power plants is a key
inhibiting factor for the energy source. Despite receiving immensely greater subsidies
than renewable energy from the beginning of its development, nuclear energy is still
not competitive with fossil fuels in the U.S., and new wind energy is estimated to be
less expensive than new nuclear generation. Yet the Breakthrough Institute's Michael
Shallenberger asserted that nuclear power is "a much more economical alternative to
very expensive solar panels or very expensive wind turbines that require backup
power."

A range of technologies, including nuclear power, will be needed for clean energy
transitions around the world. Global energy is increasingly based around electricity.
That means the key to making energy systems clean is to turn the electricity sector
from the largest producer of CO2 emissions into a low-carbon source that reduces
fossil fuel emissions in areas like transport, heating and industry. While renewables
are expected to continue to lead, nuclear power can also play an important part along
with fossil fuels using carbon capture, utilization and storage.

Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to generate
heat, which most frequently is then used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a
nuclear power plant. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear
decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from
nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium and plutonium. Nuclear
decay processes are used in niche applications such as radioisotope thermoelectric
generators. Generating electricity from fusion power remains at the focus of
international research.

In nuclear fission, atoms are split apart, which releases energy. All nuclear power
plants use nuclear fission, and most nuclear power plants use uranium atoms. During
nuclear fission, a neutron collides with a uranium atom and splits it, releasing a large
amount of energy in the form of heat and radiation. More neutrons are also released
when a uranium atom splits. These neutrons continue to collide with other uranium
atoms, and the process repeats itself over and over again. This process is called a
nuclear chain reaction. This reaction is controlled in nuclear power plant reactors to
produce a desired amount of heat.
All commercial power reactors are based on nuclear fission. They generally use
uranium and its product plutonium as nuclear fuel, though a thorium fuel cycle is also
possible. Fission reactors can be divided roughly into two classes, depending on the
energy of the neutrons that sustain the fission chain reaction: Thermal neutron
reactors (the most common type of nuclear reactor) use slowed or thermal neutrons
to keep up the fission of their fuel. Almost all current reactors are of this type.

There is a debate about nuclear power. Proponents, such as the World Nuclear
Association and Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy, contend that nuclear power is a
safe, sustainable energy source (see also nuclear power proposed as renewable
energy) that reduces carbon emissions. Nuclear power opponents, such as
Greenpeace and NIRS, contend that nuclear power poses many threats to people and
the environment.

Slowing global warming requires a transition to a low-carbon economy, mainly by

burning far less fossil fuel. Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C is technically
possible if no new fossil fuel power plants are built from 2019. This has generated
considerable interest and dispute in determining the best path forward to rapidly
replace fossil-based fuels in the global energy mix. with intense academic debate.
Sometimes the IEA says that countries without nuclear should develop it as well as
their renewable power.