Nuclear Energy Is Unmatched in Reliability

• Nuclear power is the most efficient and reliable source of large-scale, around-the-clock electricity. Nuclear energy plants maintain a national average reliability between 85 and 90 percent, with many power plants routinely operating at 93 to 95 percent capacity over extended periods.
• No other electricity source can match this level of reliability, which brings tremendous benefits to American consumers and businesses. Nuclear energy’s closest competitors in this regard are clean energy sources geothermal and biomass, extremely small producers of electricity that both operated at 67 percent capacity in 2013.

• High reliability and dependability mean that electricity is available on the grid whenever needed, all the time. This is particularly important during periods of extreme heat or cold.
• Nuclear energy remains the world leader in reliable, dependable electricity production in part because nuclear plants require refueling only every 18-24 months. They are not subject to interruptions in fuel supplies caused by weather, transportation or curtailments.
• Another part of reliability is the energy-intensive nature of uranium fuel. A single uranium pellet, slightly larger than a pencil eraser, contains the same energy as a ton of coal, three barrels of oil or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas. Each uranium fuel pellet provides heat for up to five years to make steam for power generation, making uranium an important part of baseload fuel diversity that ensures grid stability.
• Nuclear plants are built to run all the time and provide full power when it is most needed. A third of a reactor’s fuel is replaced every 18-24 months during short, scheduled spring and fall refueling outages. This means America’s nuclear energy plants can supply large amounts of predictable, reliable electricity through virtually every period of extreme heat and cold.
• Nuclear energy generates more electricity than any other source in seven states: Connecticut, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.http://www.nuclearmatters.com/reliable-power/unmatched-reliability