10. Nuclear

Key data

(2018 provisional)

Number of reactors: 98 reactors Installed capacity (2017): 99.6 GW Electricity generation: 841.3 TWh

Share of nuclear: 20% share of electricity generation in the US (53% of low-carbon electricity generation)

Overview

The United States (US) is the world's largest producer of nuclear power, with nearly a third of global nuclear electricity generation. Nuclear accounts for a fifth of electricity generation in the US, which makes it the largest source of low-carbon electricity in the country. The US nuclear fleet consists of 59 commercially operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) in 30 states, with 98 light water reactor (LWR) units (65 pressurised water reactors [PWRs] and 33 boiling water reactors). These were mostly built between 1967 and 1990. US NPPs are characterised by very high capacity factors (92.2% in 2017 compared with 50% in the early 1970s and 70% in the 1990s). Electricity production from nuclear grew rapidly from the 1970s to the late 1990s, and has since been relatively stable at around 800 terawatt hours (TWh) per year (Figure 10.1).

Figure 10.1 Nuclear power generation, 1973-2018

IEA (2019). All rights reserved.

Nuclear power increased rapidly in the 1970s-90s, but has in the past two decades remained relatively constant at around 800 TWh/year.

Source: IEA (2019), World Energy Balances 2019, www.iea.org/statistics/.

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ENERGY SECURITY

IEA. All rights reserved.