Atmospheric Release Comparisons
Key airborne pollutants of concern in energy generation are - sulfur dioxide (which contributes to acid rain), nitrogen oxides (which contribute to smog), and carbon dioxide (which contributes to global warming) The following graphs and tables compare release levels for these major pollutants from a 1000 MWe plant of each of the 4 energy generation methods - coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear.
|
in Thousand Tons per Year |
Coal | 70 |
| Natural Gas | 0 | ||
| Oil | 30 | ||
| Nuclear | 0 | ||
| Courtesy USCEA | |||
|
in Thousand Tons per Year |
Coal | 25 |
| Natural Gas | 16 | ||
| Oil | 14 | ||
| Nuclear | 0 | ||
| Courtesy USCEA | |||
|
in Thousand Tons per Year |
Coal | 6000 |
| Natural Gas | 3000 | ||
| Oil | 5000 | ||
| Nuclear | 0 | ||
| Courtesy USCEA | |||
Copyright © 1996-2006. The Virtual Nuclear Tourist. All rights reserved. Revised: December 20, 2005.
