With a nuclear reactor running at operating temperature and withall the associated systems on line, the reactor can increase itspower output in seconds to accommodate a larger demand for electricpower. If we have to start up the reactor and warm up all the steamlines and such, it takes longer to begin to generateelectricity.Nuclear power generator plants generate heat, which heats aclosed circulating liquid that is radioactive. That heat istransferred to another liquid, which is not radioactive, isconverted to steam, which turns turbine generators which generateselectricity. Once everything is up and running, it all happens at afast rate.A much less efficient method, but quicker and less complicated,directs the nuclear plants heat to thermocouples or some similartechnology to generate electricity immediately.