When it comes to nuclear, the U.S. is No. 1 – for now By EPN Staff Even though only two new nuclear facilities have come online in the United States since 1996, the country operates the world’s largest nuclear fleet, according to the Energy Information Administration. The country has 94 reactors with a total net generating capacity of nearly 97 gigawatts (GW) – more than 30 GW higher than the next country, France. Those reactors are at 54 power plants, each of which has one to four reactors, according to the EIA. Twelve U.S. nuclear power reactors have permanently closed since 2013 but one of them, Palisades in Michigan, may reopen with help from a U.S. Department of Energy loan. That would be the first retired nuclear plant in the United States to reopen, part of a potential renaissance for nuclear as the country looks to ramp up generation to power artificial intelligence and other growth. Why it matters Nuclear power produces nearly 20% of U.S. generation, according to the EIA. It’s also on the precipice of growth, thanks in part to large tech companies cutting deals to reopen or build new plants to feed power-hungry data centers. Nuclear facilities are expensive, though, and take years to plan, permit and complete. Plant Vogtle in Georgia added two new reactors in 2023 and 2024, making it the nation’s largest nuclear plant, but the project ran $17 billion over budget, for a total cost around $35 billion, and opened 7 years later than planned. Much of the industry’s attention has turned to smaller-scale nuclear projects, known as Small Modular Reactors. These facilities would be smaller and cheaper, but the technology is not as well known, and there aren’t any yet plugged into a U.S. grid. China and Russia have the only two operational SMRs, according to the World Nuclear Association, but dozens more are in development around the world, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. There are more than 80 different commercial SMR design types under development, the agency said in 2023. The bigger picture The United States has the largest nuclear fleet both by number of reactors and net generation capacity. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency the next four largest fleets are in: France: 57 reactors / 63 GW China: 57 reactors / 55 GW Russia: 36 reactors / 27 GW South Korea: 26 reactors / 26 GW Additional details More than 50% of Americans favor expanding nuclear power, a figure that has grown slowly but steadily in recent years, according to Pew Research Center polling. As of 2024, wind and solar power polled higher, though support for both dropped significantly in recent years, in large part due to an erosion of support among Republicans.
