Final answer:
The amount of kilowatts a nuclear power plant uses in a year varies depending on the plant's capacity and is generally in the range of billions of kW. Nuclear power plants generate power; they do not 'use' it in the traditional sense of electrical consumption. Option number d is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks, "How many kilowatts (kW) does a nuclear power plant use in a year?" The correct answer to this would be d) It varies depending on the plant. This is because the power usage of a nuclear plant can vary greatly based on its design, capacity, and operational efficiency. For instance, a large power plant typically operates in the 1-4 GW (gigawatt) range, and each GW is equivalent to 1,000 MW (megawatts) or 1,000,000 kW. Thus, the power consumption in kilowatts would amount to billions of kW used per year, which is significantly higher than the other options provided.
In practice, a nuclear power plant doesn't use power; rather, it generates power. When referring to a plant's capacity, we are talking about the amount of electrical power it is capable of producing, not the consumption of power. The concept of electricity generation should not be confused with power usage, such as the kWh consumed by a household appliance.