Nuclear power provides slightly more than 19% of the U.S. electricity and about 8.5% of the total U.S. energy consumed from all sources in 2011.

In 2011, U.S. nuclear plants generated 790 billion kilowatthours from 104 commercial nuclear generating units; a decrease of over 2% in annual nuclear generation from 807 billion kilowatthours in 2010.

line graph showing nuclear share of electricity net generation, 1973-2011
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Did You Know?

The last new reactor to come on-line in the United States was the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Watts Bar 1 reactor in Tennessee, in February 1996. Nuclear expansion since 1996 has occurred through “uprating,” the practice of increasing capacity at existing power plants.

Nuclear Power Constitutes a Sizeable Portion of U.S. Power

The top five states for nuclear generation of electricity in 2011 were:

  1. Illinois
  2. Pennsylvania
  3. South Carolina
  4. New York
  5. North Carolina

The Beginning of the U.S. Commercial Nuclear Industry

The process of generating electricity has involved the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) since before the turn of the 20th century. An experimental reactor used uranium to generate electricity in December 1951, but more than half a decade passed before uranium contributed significantly to commercial electricity generation.

In 1957, the first large-scale U.S. commercial nuclear power plant opened at Shippingport, Pennsylvania. The use of nuclear-generated electricity has grown substantially since then. Nuclear power as a percentage of total U.S. electricity generation increased quickly from nearly 5% in 1973 to 9% in 1975 and then to the current level of about 20% by 1988.

The United States Has the Most Nuclear Capacity

In 2011, the United States had more nuclear capacity than any other nation, 101 gigawatts, followed in rank order by France, Japan, and Germany. Although each of these countries generate less electricity than the United States, they are more dependent on nuclear power.

International Outlook for Nuclear Power Varies

International growth in commercial nuclear power has slowed, but several countries have ambitious nuclear construction programs. The United States, China, India, Russia, South Korea, and other countries have brought new reactors into service during the latter part of the 20th century.