Answer to Question 1
We know that there is no air pollution or water pollution directly, as there would
be from a coal-fired plant, for example, but one would consider the high- and low-level
radioactive waste to be a pollutant. So it would be a misstatement to say there was no
pollution.
Answer to Question 2
Many reasons exist. The voltage is lower, so current is greater and Joule heating
much more important than for long-distance transmission. Wires must be strung
everywhere a customer is instead of along a single right of way, and this involves substantial
expenditure. Substations with expensive transformers and capacitors must be used; these
costs are assigned to local transmission.