Nuclear energy is the second largest energy source in the United States and the country’s largest source of clean energy.
Nuclear power has been quietly supplying the United States with clean, carbon-free electricity for the past 60 years. Today, one-fifth of the country’s electricity comes from nuclear power each year.
The US Department of Energy (DoE) has just published information that includes the five pieces of information that currently make up the US nuclear market and its importance in the country’s energy mix.
1. Nuclear power plants produced 775 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2023
US nuclear power plants generated 775 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2023. That’s enough to power more than 72 million homes! American reactors have supplied about 20% of the country’s energy since the 1990s and make the United States the largest producer of nuclear energy in the world.
2. Nuclear power provides nearly half of America’s clean energy.
Nuclear power provided 48% of the United States’ carbon-free electricity in 2023, making it the largest national source of clean energy.
Nuclear power plants do not emit greenhouse gases while generating electricity.
They produce energy by boiling water to create steam that turns a turbine. Water is heated through a process called fission, which generates heat by splitting uranium atoms inside the core of a nuclear reactor.
3. Nuclear energy is one of the most reliable energy sources in the United States.
Nuclear power plants operated at full capacity more than 93% of the time in 2023, making them the United States’ most reliable source of energy. This is 1.5 to 2 times more reliable than natural gas (58.8%) and coal (42.1%) plants, and approximately 2.5 to 3.5 times more reliable than wind plants ( 33.5%) and solar (23.3%).
Nuclear power plants are designed to operate 24/7 because they require less maintenance and can operate for longer periods before refueling (typically every 1.5 to 2 years).
4. Nuclear energy helps power 28 US states
There are currently 94 commercial reactors helping to power homes and businesses in 28 US states. Illinois has 11 reactors (the most of any state) and joins South Carolina and New Hampshire in receiving more than 50% of its energy from nuclear sources.
Units 3 and 4 of the Vogtle plant in Waynesboro, GA, became the nation’s newest reactors when they entered commercial service in 2023 and 2024. The four-unit plant is the nation’s largest generator of clean energy.
5. Nuclear fuel is extremely dense
Because of this, the amount of nuclear fuel used is not as large as is believed.
All the used nuclear fuel produced by the US nuclear power industry over the past 60 years could fit on a football field at a depth of less than 10 meters.
