In 2011, U.S. nuclear plants generated 790 billion kilowatthours from 104 commercial nuclear generating units. Nuclear power provided slightly more than 19% of electricity and about 8% of all energy consumed in the United States.
line graph showing nuclear share of electricity net generation, 1973-2011
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Did You Know?

In February 2012, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) gave the first approval for constructing a new nuclear reactor in 30 years. The NRC approved Southern Company's application to build and operate two new nuclear reactors at the Vogtle nuclear plant, near Augusta, Georgia, which already houses two operating reactors.
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

History of the U.S. Commercial Nuclear Industry

Electricity has been generated by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) since before the turn of the 20th century. An experimental reactor used uranium to generate electricity for the first time 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 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. However, new reactors are expected to provide additional nuclear capacity in the future.
As of early 2012, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) had active applications for a total of 28 new reactors, although it is unknown how many of the proposed reactors will be built. Four new nuclear reactors (Vogtle Units 3 and 4 and Summer Units 2 and 3) are expected to come on-line between 2016 and 2017.

The United States Has the Most Nuclear Capacity

The United States has more nuclear capacity and generates more electricity from nuclear power than any other nation. However, the United States is not as reliant on nuclear power as a share of total electricity generation as some other countries. France, the country with the second most nuclear capacity, relies on nuclear power for nearly 80% of its electricity. Other countries that get a significant share of their electricity from nuclear power include Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Germany.