Is it really though ? <| sep |> So , after the hot steam has run through the turbines , you probably want to cool it back down into water and send it back to get hot again . The best way to cool it down is to have water around a section of the steam pipe , causing it to cool below boiling , condense into water and run back . The water that cools the steam then becomes warm , and you can pump it to places that need heat through massive highlyinsulated pipes . The water can then be run under streets to melt snow and ice , or be pumped into radiators in offices and apartments , it ' ll still be quite warm when it reaches the end destination , and thanks to stuff like that there are pedestrian zones that never get too slippery from ice even in the middle of winter . Unfortunately , the extra heat is a bit less useful during summer unless you want a really warm pool or something , but in winter it ' s great .