When we think of nuclear energy, the first thing that comes to mind is the atom bomb and the heavy destructive power it contains. But is that enough knowledge about nuclear energy? How does an atom originate energy? When an atom is split, it releases two types of energies: heat and light. Nuclear power plants carries out the fission of atoms in a controlled environment, which prevents any untoward explosion like atomic or hydrogen bombs.
First of all, you need to know that atomic power plants can never explode like a nuclear bomb as there are enough safety precautions taken for atomic fissions to happen. Moreover the catalyst used for atomic fission is pure Plutonium and the process does not even take place inside a power plant. Even chances of a 'meltdown' are pretty low, though some stray accidents have happened in the past. But if you take into consideration that there are over 430 nuclear reactors operating in 33 nations across the world since the 1950s, such accidents are nothing else but rare. Also the root cause of such accidents has been attributed to outdated materials, which ideally should have been maintained properly or replaced.
Nuclear Reactor
It can be said with some conviction that if nuclear power does gain popularity in the field of alternate sources of energy, obviously, the power plants would also be usually updated and maintained. There are presently 6 states in America engaged in producing more than half of all their electricity demands using nuclear power - and there are no tragic stories reported by media on these nuclear power plants.
Fundamentals of Nuclear energy As an Alternate Source of energy