Major studies all conclude that nuclear is an exceptionally safe way to produce electricity on an industrial scale. Nuclear has by far the lowest number of direct fatalities of any major energy source per kWh of energy produced – over 100 times less than hydro and liquefied natural gas(5).

Serious nuclear accidents are very rare, and not particularly dangerous. The April 1986 Chernobyl accident in Ukraine is the only nuclear accident that has ever led to measurable health effects: 30 fatalities and up to 4,000 thyroid cancer cases in those who were children when exposed(6), (7), (8). The March 2011 accident at the Fukushima plant in Japan did not cause any immediate health effects, and is unlikely to cause any future health effects according to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR)(9).