What happened at Fukushima Daiichi, explained simply
On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off Japan's coast triggered a tsunami that knocked out power and cooling at Fukushima Daiichi, and the fuel in three reactors melted down within days.
Priya Patel
Dr. Priya Patel writes on nuclear energy with a perspective shaped by years of hands-on work across the industry. She offers insights that go beyond theory, drawing from direct experience managing core operations and safety systems inside a commercial nuclear power plant.
This practical foundation informs her analysis of the sector's biggest challenges, including nonproliferation policy and long-term waste management. In her articles for Energy Collective, Dr. Patel bridges the gap between the technical complexities of nuclear science and the practical realities of energy policy and investment, providing a clear-eyed view of the technology's role in the world.
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What Germany’s nuclear phase-out did to emissions and coal
Germany shut down its last three nuclear reactors on April 15, 2023, and for most of the decade after Fukushima, the power nuclear used to supply went mostly to coal, not to wind and solar.
Is Nuclear Power Safe? What the Death-Rate Data Shows
Measured by deaths per unit of electricity produced, nuclear power is one of the safest sources there is, well below coal, oil, gas, and large hydropower. That holds even with Chernobyl and Fukushima counted in.