Nuclear power often gets painted as either a clean-energy hero or a disaster waiting to happen. So which is it?
A TikTok from a real estate agent in Lake Anna, Virginia, intended to clear things up.
@themgroupva Nuclear Energy: The Eco-Warrior Power Source Debunked! Nuclear energy is super clean, emitting no greenhouse gases during operation, unlike coal or gas. We debunk myths and reveal its eco-friendly benefits. #NuclearEnergy #CleanEnergy #EcoFriendly #ClimateChange #EnergySolutions #NuclearPower #Environment #GoGreen #SustainableEnergy #FutureOfEnergy ♬ original sound - Melanie Lucero
In his video, Michael Boyce from The M Group (@themgroupva) sought to clarify common concerns about the nearby North Anna Nuclear Power Station, particularly the claim that nuclear power is trashing the environment.
"Actually, it's super clean," he says. "No greenhouse gases during operation. Compare that to coal or gas. It's like the eco-warrior of energy."
He isn't wrong about emissions. Nuclear plants produce massive amounts of electricity without the carbon pollution associated with coal or natural gas — not just from the burning of these dirty energy sources, but also from the mining, transportation, and maintenance of a plant over its lifetime.
Unlike solar or wind, nuclear power also provides continuous, on-demand power that isn't dependent on the weather.
There are also concerns about waste, but the scale is far smaller than most people realize. A typical 1,000 megawatt reactor generates about 25-30 metric tons of spent fuel per year, roughly the size of a few school buses.
Compare that to coal or gas, which release millions of tons of ash, mercury, and other pollutants into the air and water every year.
Nuclear waste also sits contained and monitored, while fossil fuel byproducts continue to accumulate and impact communities and ecosystems.
Lake Anna offers a tangible example of nuclear done right. The 3,400-acre side of the 13,000-acre reservoir was created to cool the North Anna plant, which has operated safely for more than 40 years.
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Lower energy bills 💸 "Lake Anna is home to a thriving ecosystem with fish, birds, and wildlife flourishing around it," The M Group explained. "The plant's operations are strictly regulated to maintain environmental safety."
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For growing energy hubs like Northern Virginia — home to much of the nation's data center activity — reliable electricity is critical. As WTOP News shared, Dominion Energy has predicted that power demand in the region will increase by 85% over the next 15 years.
The company has plans to expand nuclear capacity at Lake Anna, including the potential addition of a third reactor. It also signed an agreement with Amazon Web Services in 2024 to explore building small modular reactors that could provide at least 300 megawatts of power to meet rising energy demand in the region, according to WTOP News.
That isn't to say nuclear power is without impact. Lake Anna experiences water temperatures on the "hot side" and harmful algal blooms, but these challenges are being monitored and managed alongside the broader benefits of a low-carbon energy source.
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