When a heat wave strikes a region causing more people to run air-conditioning units, electrical demand increases. What needs to be done to meet this increased demand?

To supply more electricity, a nuclear power plant can increase the reactor’s rate of fission. Raising the control rods withdraws some neutron-absorbing material from the reactor core, allowing more neutrons to sustain fission and increasing power output. So the correct choice is raising the control rods; lowering them would absorb more neutrons and reduce power.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.