New Jersey Nuclear Industry
Contribution of Nuclear Power
As of January 1, 2005, New Jersey ranked 10th among the 31 States with nuclear capacity.The leading source of electricity in 2004 in the State was nuclear power (see Table). In 2004, National nuclear generation reached record levels. In New Jersey, the nuclear industry's share of electric output dropped by 4 percent as coal and gas modestly increased their share.
| Electricity Market in New Jersey (Percent Generated by Fuel) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Coal | Natural Gas |
Hydro | Nuclear | Other |
|
2004
|
18
|
30
|
0
|
48
|
4
|
|
2003
|
16
|
26
|
*
|
53
|
5
|
|
2002
|
16
|
31
|
0
|
50
|
3
|
| Source: Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator" *Less than one percent | |||||
New Jersey Nuclear Highlights
- The Salem Creek nuclear plant in New Jersey is tied with Illinois' LaSalle power plant for 35th place on the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) list of the 100 Largest Utility Plants in the United States.
- In 2003, nuclear electricity generated over half of the electricity in the State. But all reactors must shut down for routine maintenance and refueling. Consequently, nuclear generation slipped by about 9 percent in 2004, dropping to 48 percent of total generation in New Jersey.
- Oyster Creek is the Nation's oldest nuclear plant still in service.
| Nuclear Power Generation in New Jersey, 1960 through 2004 Million Kilowatt Hours |
 |
Sources: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-906, Power Plant Report, and predecessor forms. |
New Jersey Nuclear Industry
New Jersey has two BWR (boiling water reactor) single-unit nuclear power plants (Hope Creek and Oyster Creek) and the Salem nuclear plant with two PWR (light water reactor) units.
| Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey Net Generation and Capacity, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant Name | Nuclear Units | Capacity Net MWe | Share of State Nuclear Generation Total in 2004 |
Operator/Owner |
| Hope Creek | Unit 1 | 1,049 | 29% | PSEG Nuclear LLC/Same |
| Oyster Creek | Unit 1 | 605 | 16% | AmerGen Energy Co./Same | Salem | Unit 1, Unit 2 | 2,221 | 55% | PSEG Nuclear LLC(57.4%) and Exelon Corp. (42.6%)/PSEG Nuclear LLC |
Total | 4 Units | 3,875 | 100% | -- | Source: Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator Report," and Form EIA-906, "Power Plant Report." |
Information on the current status of all license renewal applications appears on the NRC web site at http://www.nrc.gov. To locate the data, select "index," then select the letter "l" and click on "License Renewal".
International Atomic Energy Agency PRIS file, Operating History, contains data on load factor, availability factor, historical output, and more.
Air Quality in New Jersey
| Emissions (estimated) in New Jersey from All Electric Power Plants, 2002 (Thousand Short Tons) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Product
|
Thousand Short Tons | National Ranking | Annual Growth Rate (1993 through 2002) |
|
Sulfur Dioxide
|
49 |
36th | -2.9 percent |
|
Nitrogen Oxide
|
41 |
36th | -1.9 percent |
|
Carbon Dioxide
|
22,339 |
37th | 4.0 percent | Source:
State Electricity Profiles, Energy Information Administration See also, the comprehensive table comparing emissions tonnage for all 50 States plus the District of Columbia. |
Cooling Towers
Viewing the massive cooling tower at Hope Creek, it is easy to understand why many people regard cooling towers as symbolic of nuclear energy. In truth, however, many nuclear facilities do not have cooling towers. Neither of the two light water reactors at the Salem plant, on the same site, have any. Nor are these structures limited to nuclear plants. Many are located at fossil fuel plants. Some are located at chemical plants.
But the role of cooling towers at nuclear power plants differs from their purpose at other facilities. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "A cooling tower is designed to remove heat by pumping water up into the tower and allowing it to fall down inside the tower. Air comes in from the sides of the tower and passes by the falling water. As the air passes the water, it exchanges some of the heat and evaporates some of the water. This heat and evaporated water flowing out the top of the tower is in the form of a fine cloud-like mist. The cooled water is collected at the bottom of the tower and pumped back into the plant for reuse. Cooling towers are used where land and (or) water are expensive, or where State of Federal regulations make alternatives impractical."
The vapor rising from the cooling tower in the photograph is non-radioactive steam, not smoke. Although nuclear power plants in New Jersey and other States are free of harmful emissions, cooling towers are not without controversy. Some cooling towers rely on water drawn from natural waterways. There are exceptions, such as Palo Verde in Arizona, which uses purified sewage water. The State of New Jersey has raised concerns that the reliance of Hope Creek and the Nations' oldest nuclear plant, Oyster Creek, on natural waterways has resulted in fish kills. Because of re-licensing concerns this is a problem that owners are working diligently to address.
© Copyright by PSEG Nuclear LLC, (used with permission) The cooling tower at Hope Creek Nuclear Power Plant is over 500 feet tall. Rising from the cooling tower is steam (non-radioactive). One of the advantages of nuclear is that it does not contribute harmful emissions to the atmosphere. |
More Information on New Jersey's Nuclear Industry
Nuclear Generation
Electricity generation by nuclear power plants is available for each reactor and each State for the following years:
Contact: