In 2024, nuclear energy accounted for roughly 18.2 percent of the United States' electricity generation, down from over 20 percent in 1995. Since 1990, the number of operable nuclear reactors in the U.S. dropped by 18 units.

The state of Illinois is the leading producer of nuclear energy in the United States. In 2024, this state generated over 99 terawatt-hours of nuclear energy. Illinois is also the state with the largest number of nuclear power reactors in operation in the U.S.. This state of the Northern Midwest had 11 nuclear reactors in 2024, located in six different nuclear power plants. Nuclear energy production in the United States The process of nuclear fission between a neutron and a large uranium atom releases nuclear energy, which is primarily used to produce electricity. Nuclear energy is employed to heat water, creating steam that, in turn, powers turbines linked to electricity generators. This type of energy has accounted for no less than 18 percent of U.S. annual electricity generation in the last three decades. U.S. nuclear power reactors in operation  Although the operable nuclear power reactors in the U.S. have seen a downward trend since 1990, nowadays, the country still holds 94 operable units. With this quantity of operating reactors, the North American nation is the leader in nuclear electricity production worldwide.

Three states in the United States generated over 50 percent of their in-state electricity from nuclear power in 2019. New Hampshire had the highest share at 61 percent of its generation, followed by South Carolina with 56 percent.

France has the greatest share of nuclear power in total electricity generation worldwide. In 2024, nuclear energy accounted for over 67 percent of the European country's total electricity production. By comparison, the share of nuclear electricity generation in the United States stood at less than 20 percent. Nuclear power production in France Nuclear power is essential to France’s energy plan, as it meets a significant amount of the country’s electrical needs. In January 2025, the monthly nuclear power production in the country reached 38.6 terawatt-hours. France has a sizable fleet of reactors, which helps to maintain a steady supply of electricity while reducing its carbon footprint. Global nuclear landscape The United States holds the highest nuclear power capacity globally, with approximately 97 gigawatts electric across its 94 reactors as of August 2025. France came in second with over 63 gigawatts electric. 61 nuclear reactors are under construction worldwide, with China leading with 28 units and India following with six. Additionally, the global nuclear landscape saw the permanent shutdown of four reactors in 2024, highlighting ongoing shifts in energy production and policy.

The United States is the largest consumer of nuclear power, having accounted for almost 30 percent of the world’s nuclear power consumption in 2024. In 2024, nuclear energy consumption in the U.S. totaled nine exajoules. Nuclear power generation In 2010, global nuclear power generation reached 2,630 terawatt-hours. Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011, that year saw an output drop. Generation also declined in 2012 but has since recovered. It amounted to 2,552 terawatt-hours in 2023. Currently, nuclear power accounts for roughly nine percent of global electricity generation. Nuclear reactors As the top producer of nuclear power, it comes as no surprise that the U.S. has by far the most operable nuclear reactors worldwide. With a total of 94 units in operation as of May 2025, this is almost 40 more than in China. Nevertheless, whilst the U.S. had no planned nuclear reactor additions at the time, China had 40. The Asian country also had 28 nuclear reactors under construction. It is projected that China will surpass the U.S. as the world’s largest nuclear energy producer.

According to a survey conducted between April and May 2024, over ** percent of adults in the United States strongly favored the use of nuclear energy as a way to provide electricity across the country. Meanwhile, about ** percent of respondents were on the fence on the use of nuclear energy in the U.S.

Nuclear energy production in the United States is forecast to decrease steadily in the next decades. While this figure amounted to over *** terawatt-hours in 2022, it is projected to decline to *** by 2040, with an overall decrease of almost ** percent.

Nuclear energy remains the most capital-intensive energy source in the United States, with estimated costs ranging from ***** to ****** U.S. dollars per kilowatt in 2025. This high investment requirement reflects the complex infrastructure and safety measures needed for nuclear power plants. Despite the high costs, nuclear energy plays a significant role in the U.S. energy sector, accounting for around ** percent of the country’s electricity generation in 2024. Cost comparison of U.S. energy sources While nuclear energy tops the list in capital costs, other energy sources present varying levels of investment. Offshore wind power, for instance, requires substantial upfront capital, with estimates ranging from ***** to 6**** U.S. dollars per kilowatt. In contrast, utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems offer more affordable options, with capital costs between ***** and ***** U.S. dollars per kilowatt. These differences in capital costs contribute to the overall levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), which factors in lifetime expenses and energy production. Onshore wind energy and utility-scale solar PV boasted the lowest unsubsidized LCOE in the U.S. in 2025. Renewable energy trends in the United States The U.S. energy landscape is evolving, and renewable energy supply has grown significantly owing to federal policies that have made it more affordable. The Biden administration has bolstered clean energy projects, resulting in solar PV accounting for ** percent of the total electricity capacity additions in 2024. The funds of the Inflation Reduction Act (2022) have also heavily boosted the domestic onshore and offshore wind sector. However, in 2025, the renewable energy sector was facing challenges under President Trump, who has called for revoking IRA investments and slowing the growth in the country’s wind generation capacity.

The total Research and Development (R&D) budget for nuclear energy allocated by the Department of Energy (DOE) of the United States was around **** billion U.S. dollars in financial year 2024. The U.S. DOE's R&D budget request for nuclear energy for financial year 2025 amounted to **** billion U.S. dollars. In 2024, the nuclear share of electricity generation in the U.S. was approximately ** percent.

This survey shows the opinion of U.S. Americans towards the use of nuclear energy in the U.S. from 2001 to 2012. In the poll from March 2012, about 46 percent of the respondents are in favor of using nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide electricity.

Nuclear electricity generated in the United States cost 31.76 U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour in 2023. Production costs were highest in 2012, when they came to 52.83 U.S. dollars in 2023 prices, but have decreased ever since. Some 782 terawatt-hours of electricity is generated by U.S. nuclear plants every year. Capacity factor of nuclear power in the United States Among all the U.S. energy sources, nuclear power has by far the highest capacity factor and is dependable and efficient. In 2024, nuclear power reactors generated more than 92 percent of the electrical energy that could have been produced at continuous full power operation. Outage and maintenance of nuclear plants in the United States Despite having a high capacity factor, nuclear plants experienced peak average daily outages of nearly 22 gigawatts in April and October of the last few years. These outages, planned for low-demand periods, reflect necessary refueling and maintenance. As of July 2023, the average duration of these refueling outages was 34 days, illustrating the balance between high operational efficiency and periodic maintenance required to sustain reliable performance.

The public opinion on the use of nuclear power in the United States deteriorated between 2010 and 2022. In that year, only ** percent of the respondents to a recent survey were favorable to nuclear energy. Almost as many were opposed to it. The opinion of U.S. adults on nuclear energy was remarkably different in 2010, when over ** percent of the respondents were favorable to its use and only ** percent were against it.

Nuclear power had the highest capacity factor among energy sources in the United States, at over 92 percent in 2024. Geothermal energy-generating facilities followed and had the largest capacity factor among renewable sources at 65 percent. In contrast, natural gas and petroleum ranked the lowest. Cost of nuclear power in the United States Despite the large capacity factor, nuclear power plants had one of the highest levelized costs of electricity in the country. The operating expenses of nuclear utilities in the U.S. are nearly 50 percent lower than those of fossil fuel power plants, indicating higher capital expenditure for these facilities. Capacity factor of renewable energy plants Excluding geothermal energy, the capacity factor of renewable energy plants in the U.S. was roughly 34 percent for hydropower and wind energy and close to 23 percent for solar photovoltaic and solar thermal in 2023. Overall, the capacity factor of offshore wind power worldwide was at 41 percent in 2023, while the one of utility-scale solar PV was at approximately 16 percent in that year.

In 2024, the United States was the leading country worldwide in terms of nuclear power consumption. At **** exajoules, this was more than runners-up China and France combined. Growing consumption While the United States is by far the biggest consumer of nuclear energy, its consumption did not change when compared to the previous year. In comparison, China experienced an increase in nuclear consumption of approximately *** percent in the same year. Global nuclear energy consumption increased by almost ***** percent in 2024 to approximately **** exajoules. Increased number of reactors With ** operable nuclear reactors as of May 2025, it is no surprise that the United States is the leading nation in the consumption of nuclear energy. France and China follow, with ********* operable reactors, respectively. At that same time, there were ** nuclear reactors under construction in China.

Global nuclear power generation reached ***** terawatt-hours in 2024, a year-over-year increase of nearly ***** percent. Figures have seen a mostly increasing trend since 2012 but decreased in 2020 and 2022. The global nuclear landscape Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March 2011, some countries, such as Germany, vowed to phase out or limit nuclear power for energy production. Nevertheless, nuclear power generation has been steadily increasing since 2013, surpassing pre-Fukushima levels in 2019. Still, some countries remain staunchly opposed to building nuclear power facilities. Overall, more nuclear power reactors have shut down in recent years, and the global nuclear capacity dropped from ***** in 2021 to *** in 2024. Largest consumers of nuclear energy Consumption of nuclear power varies widely across the world, with the United States, China, and France making up almost ** percent of the world’s global consumption. Many reactors in the United States began construction by 1974, but little changed until the 2010s when new reactors were approved for construction. In turn, the vast majority of nuclear power reactors in the United States were at least ** years old in 2023. Meanwhile, in France, nuclear power is the leading source of electricity, accounting for ** percent of electricity production.

As of December 2024, there were 94 operable nuclear power reactors in the United States. The number of operable units in the country has been decreasing since 1990. In 2023, nuclear power plants in the U.S. had a capacity factor of 93.1 percent.

In 2024, the capacity factor of nuclear power plants in the United States averaged at around 92.3 percent, a slight decrease when compared to the previous year. The capacity factor for U.S. nuclear power plants has remained stable over the past 10 years.

According to a survey conducted between April and May 2024, some ** percent of men in the United States strongly favored the use of nuclear energy as a way to provide electricity across the country. The share of female respondents that was in accordance with the use of nuclear energy was significantly lower, at about ** percent.

Nuclear power accounted for **** percent of North America's total electricity production in 2024. If new policies targeting the expansion of nuclear industries will be implemented, the nuclear share of electricity generation in North America would increase to **** percent by 2050. In comparison, the nuclear share of electricity generation would decrease to eight percent by 2050 in the low case scenario.

In 2025, Maryland-based Constellation Energy operated nuclear power plants with a total capacity of about **** gigawatts, making it the leading operator of nuclear power plants in the United States. Duke Energy ranked second, with a nuclear capacity of **** gigawatts