Research summary
Research summary
Topic summary
Claims for and against nuclear safety, from accidents to climate tradeoffs.
Key research questions
- Research this topic from public information: Is Nuclear Power Safe?.
Important claims and supporting citations
Our World in Data's comparison, based on Markandya & Wilkinson (2007) and Sovacool et al. (2016), estimates nuclear power at approximately 0.03 deaths per terawatt-hour.
The NRC states that the average dose to the approximately 2 million people in the Three Mile Island area was about 1 millirem.
In 2024, Constellation Energy announced plans to restart TMI-1 as the "Crane Clean Energy Center" under a power deal with Microsoft.
The Kemeny Commission recommended abolishing and restructuring the NRC's management.
The undamaged sister unit, TMI-1, operated until 2019.
The natural background radiation in the Three Mile Island area is roughly 100–125 mrem/year.
Our World in Data (OWID) explicitly states that nuclear energy results in 99.9% fewer deaths than brown coal and 99.8% fewer deaths than coal, using these rates in its safety comparisons.
Markandya & Wilkinson (2007) data shows lignite/brown coal causes approximately 32.6 air-pollution-related deaths per TWh (with a 95% CI of 8.2–130) and approximately 0.12 accident deaths (public + occupational), totaling approximately 32.72 deaths per TWh.
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Data:Deaths_per_TWh_energy_production%2C_all_sources_%28Markandya_&_Wilkinson%3B_Sovacool_et_al.%29_%28OWID_4888%29.tab
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/494425/death-rate-worldwide-by-energy-source/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/494425/death-rate-worldwide-by-energy-source/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Outstanding questions
- In 2024, Constellation Energy announced plans to restart TMI-1 as the "Crane Clean Energy Center" under a power deal with Microsoft.
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Three Mile Island Unit 2 accident details
Three Mile Island Unit 2 accident details
Labels: Inferred, Low
Three Mile Island Unit 2 and TMI-1 subsequent events
Three Mile Island Unit 2 and TMI-1 subsequent events
Labels: Inferred, Low
Chernobyl Unit 4 accident details
Chernobyl Unit 4 accident details
Labels: Inferred, Low
Energy source death rates
Energy source death rates
Labels: Inferred, Low
The undamaged sister unit, TMI-1, operated until 2019.
The undamaged sister unit, TMI-1, operated until 2019.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
Our World in Data's comparison, based on Markandya & Wilkinson (2007) and Sovacool et al.
Our World in Data's comparison, based on Markandya & Wilkinson (2007) and Sovacool et al. (2016), estimates nuclear power at approximately 0.03 deaths per terawatt-hour.
Labels: Source-linked, Medium, known
Brown coal (lignite) is estimated to cause approximately 24.6 deaths per terawatt-hour, according to Our Worl…
Brown coal (lignite) is estimated to cause approximately 24.6 deaths per terawatt-hour, according to Our World in Data's comparison.
Labels: Inferred, Medium, known
Nuclear power deaths are concentrated, visible, and attributable to specific named events, unlike fossil fuel…
Nuclear power deaths are concentrated, visible, and attributable to specific named events, unlike fossil fuel deaths which are diffuse and statistical.
Labels: Inferred, Medium, known
The Three Mile Island Unit 2 accident occurred on March 28, 1979, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
The Three Mile Island Unit 2 accident occurred on March 28, 1979, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
The Chernobyl Unit 4 accident occurred on April 26, 1986, in the Ukrainian SSR.
The Chernobyl Unit 4 accident occurred on April 26, 1986, in the Ukrainian SSR.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
The cleanup of Three Mile Island Unit 2 lasted approximately 14 years and cost about $1 billion.
The cleanup of Three Mile Island Unit 2 lasted approximately 14 years and cost about $1 billion.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
Multiplying the 2007 Markandya & Wilkinson/ExternE rates by 2021 global electricity output undercounts total…
Multiplying the 2007 Markandya & Wilkinson/ExternE rates by 2021 global electricity output undercounts total fossil electricity deaths relative to newer sector-attributable estimates.
Labels: Inferred, Medium
The figures for brown coal/lignite and hard coal death rates derive from Markandya & Wilkinson (2007) in The…
The figures for brown coal/lignite and hard coal death rates derive from Markandya & Wilkinson (2007) in The Lancet, specifically Table 2, which is based on the EU ExternE project for European fuel cycles.
Labels: Source-linked, Medium
Global average death rates for coal could be 4–9 times higher (~93–224 deaths/TWh) than the Markandya & Wilki…
Global average death rates for coal could be 4–9 times higher (~93–224 deaths/TWh) than the Markandya & Wilkinson/ExternE figures, based on more recent research such as Lelieveld et al. which estimates far higher fossil-fuel air-pollution mortality.
Labels: Inferred, High
There were no deaths or detectable health effects from the Three Mile Island Unit 2 accident.
There were no deaths or detectable health effects from the Three Mile Island Unit 2 accident.
Labels: Inferred, Medium, known
Accident fatalities are a minor component (~0.12 deaths/TWh combined public + occupational for both lignite a…
Accident fatalities are a minor component (~0.12 deaths/TWh combined public + occupational for both lignite and coal in the 2007 table) of the death rate for lignite and coal.
Labels: Inferred, Medium
The Kemeny Commission, chaired by Dartmouth College president John Kemeny, reported in October 1979 that the…
The Kemeny Commission, chaired by Dartmouth College president John Kemeny, reported in October 1979 that the fundamental problems at Three Mile Island were people, procedures, and management, not hardware.
Labels: Inferred, Medium, known
Our World in Data (OWID) explicitly states that nuclear energy results in 99.9% fewer deaths than brown coal…
Our World in Data (OWID) explicitly states that nuclear energy results in 99.9% fewer deaths than brown coal and 99.8% fewer deaths than coal, using these rates in its safety comparisons.
Labels: Source-linked, High
Lignite's higher per-TWh death rate compared to hard coal is largely due to its lower energy density (typical…
Lignite's higher per-TWh death rate compared to hard coal is largely due to its lower energy density (typically <16.5 MJ/kg vs. 16.5–32.5 MJ/kg for hard coal) and higher moisture/ash/sulfur content in many deposits.
Labels: Inferred, High
The Chernobyl accident was caused by a botched turbine-coast-down safety test at low power, combined with the…
The Chernobyl accident was caused by a botched turbine-coast-down safety test at low power, combined with the RBMK reactor's positive void coefficient and a graphite-tipped control rod design flaw.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
The death rate figures for nuclear power and brown coal include both accident fatalities and air-pollution mo…
The death rate figures for nuclear power and brown coal include both accident fatalities and air-pollution mortality.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
Markandya & Wilkinson (2007) data shows lignite/brown coal causes approximately 32.6 air-pollution-related de…
Markandya & Wilkinson (2007) data shows lignite/brown coal causes approximately 32.6 air-pollution-related deaths per TWh (with a 95% CI of 8.2–130) and approximately 0.12 accident deaths (public + occupational), totaling approximately 32.72 deaths per TWh.
Labels: Source-linked, High
In 2024, Constellation Energy announced plans to restart TMI-1 as the "Crane Clean Energy Center" under a pow…
In 2024, Constellation Energy announced plans to restart TMI-1 as the "Crane Clean Energy Center" under a power deal with Microsoft.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, investigate
Our World in Data (OWID) and related analyses note that the Markandya & Wilkinson/ExternE European figures ar…
Our World in Data (OWID) and related analyses note that the Markandya & Wilkinson/ExternE European figures are likely very conservative because they are based on state-of-the-art plants with pollution controls and older air-pollution health models.
Labels: Source-linked, Medium
Markandya & Wilkinson (2007) data shows hard coal causes approximately 24.5 air-pollution-related deaths per…
Markandya & Wilkinson (2007) data shows hard coal causes approximately 24.5 air-pollution-related deaths per TWh and approximately 0.12 accident deaths, totaling approximately 24.62 deaths per TWh.
Labels: Inferred, High
Chronic effects account for 88–99% of deaths associated with energy production, according to Markandya & Wilk…
Chronic effects account for 88–99% of deaths associated with energy production, according to Markandya & Wilkinson (2007) data.
Labels: Inferred, Medium
The Three Mile Island Unit 2 accident involved a partial meltdown of approximately half of the reactor core.
The Three Mile Island Unit 2 accident involved a partial meltdown of approximately half of the reactor core.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
The Chernobyl accident resulted in a power excursion, steam explosion, and a graphite fire that burned for ap…
The Chernobyl accident resulted in a power excursion, steam explosion, and a graphite fire that burned for approximately 10 days.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
Two workers died in the explosion during the Chernobyl accident.
Two workers died in the explosion during the Chernobyl accident.
Labels: Inferred, Medium, known
The Kemeny Commission recommended abolishing and restructuring the NRC's management.
The Kemeny Commission recommended abolishing and restructuring the NRC's management.
Labels: Source-linked, Medium, known
The NRC states that the average dose to the approximately 2 million people in the Three Mile Island area was…
The NRC states that the average dose to the approximately 2 million people in the Three Mile Island area was about 1 millirem.
Labels: Source-linked, Medium, known
The Three Mile Island Unit 2 partial meltdown was caused by a stuck-open pilot-operated relief valve and oper…
The Three Mile Island Unit 2 partial meltdown was caused by a stuck-open pilot-operated relief valve and operator misdiagnosis.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
The natural background radiation in the Three Mile Island area is roughly 100–125 mrem/year.
The natural background radiation in the Three Mile Island area is roughly 100–125 mrem/year.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known