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Texas Nuclear Industry |
Report Updated: April 17, 2006
Contribution of Nuclear Power As of January 1, 2005, Texas ranked 7th among the 31 States with nuclear capacity. In 2004, the Nation set a new record for electricity generation at nuclear power plants. During 2004, the larger of Texas' two nuclear power plants was uprated in capacity, contributing to a new State record for nuclear output. For the first time, Texas generated more than 40 billion kilowatt hours. As a result, nuclear accounted for 2 percent more of the electricity supply than in either 2003 or 2002. Like neighboring Louisiana, natural gas is the dominant fuel in the State's electricity sector. Also, like Louisiana, natural gas accounts for almost as much electricity as the 2nd ranked fuel (coal) and the 3rd ranked fuel (nuclear) combined. Nearly 40 percent of Texas' electricity output relies on coal, and nearly all of that coal comes from captive mines (coal mines that are owned by the utilities they supply). Texas produces a low sulfur coal, an important consideration in the State's struggle to lower emissions rates. In 2002, Texas ranked highest in carbon dioxide emissions but fourth in sulfur dioxide emissions.
Texas Nuclear Highlights
Until the recent uprating of the number 2 reactor at Palo Verde in Arizona, the two South Texas Project (STP) reactors were the largest in the Nation. The twin Texas reactors are still large enough to place South Texas' capacity in the upper fifth of the Nation's power plants. EIA ranked STP 16th in 2003 The South Texas Power plant initially planned to shut down prior to the onslaught of hurricane Rita. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission sent several inspectors to observe conditions at the plant. It was decided to keep South Texas in operation. South Texas 2 was in the act of gradually bring power down to prepare for re-fueling, but South Texas 1 continued to operate at full power. The fact that on-site power was available in the event of an emergency was an essential factor in the decision.
International Atomic Energy Agency PRIS file, Operating History, contains data on load factor, availability factor, historical output, and more. License Renewal According to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), all of the commercial reactors in Texas are fully licensed to operate until after 2020. The earliest expiration date for any of the four reactors is in 2027 (for South Texas 1). Information on the current status of all license renewal applications appears on the NRC website at http://www.nrc.gov . To locate the data on this site, select "index" at the top and then choose the letter "l." Click on "license renewal". Air Quality in Texas Of the 50 States plus the District of Columbia, the electric industry of the State of Texas ranked highest in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2004. The State's electric industry ranks 5th highest in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and 3rd highest in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
More Information on Texas' Nuclear Industry Nuclear Generation Electricity generation by nuclear power plants is available for each reactor and each State for the following years: Contact: |
see also:
annual
nuclear statistics back to 1953
projected
electricity capacity to 2025
international
electricity statistics