Frequently Asked Questions
How much electricity does a typical nuclear power plant generate?
In 2011, the "average" nuclear power plant in the United States generated about 12.2 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh). There were 65 nuclear power plants with 104 operating nuclear reactors that generated a total of 790 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), or slightly more than 19% of the nation's electricity.
Thirty-six of those plants have two or more reactors. The Palo Verde plant in Arizona has three reactors with the largest combined generating capacity1 of about 3,937 Megawatts (MW). Fort Calhoun in Nebraska had the smallest capacity with a single reactor at 478 Megawatts (MW).
The average plant capacity factor was about 89% in 2011.
1Summer capacity
Learn more:
Nuclear Reactor Operational Status Tables (Information and data on nuclear power reactors Generation: by State and Reactor
Annual Energy Review, Historical annual data on electricity generation from nuclear energy
Monthly Energy Review, Historical monthly data on electricity generation from nuclear energy
Energy Explained: Use of Nuclear Power and Nuclear Power Plants Basics
Last updated: July 27, 2012
Other FAQs about Nuclear
- How many and what kind of power plants are there in the United States?
- How many new nuclear power plants are being built in the United States?
- How many nuclear power plants are in the U.S. and where are they located?
- How much electricity does a typical nuclear power plant generate?
- How much spent (used) fuel is stored at U.S. nuclear power plants?
- How old are U.S. nuclear power plants and when was the last one built?