Tiny Fuel, Huge Output

Nuclear energy harnesses the power released when heavy atoms like uranium-235 split through fission. A single uranium fuel pellet the size of a fingertip holds as much energy as one ton of coal, 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, or 149 gallons of oil.

That density means nuclear plants need remarkably little fuel. A typical reactor powers over a million homes on about 27 tons of fuel a year, versus millions of tons of coal for an equal-sized coal plant.