EIA issues report on the nuclear power plants in the United States

Nuclear power generates about 20 percent of electricity generation in the United States, according to a new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Overall, 30 U.S. states with operating commercial nuclear power plants. Further, 12 states generated more than 30 percent of their electricity from nuclear power.

Three states generate more than 50 percent of their electricity from nuclear power. New Hampshire gets the largest share of electricity generation from nuclear power, with 61 percent. South Carolina is second with 56 percent from nuclear while Illinois is third with 54 percent. Illinois has the most nuclear reactors with 11 and the most nuclear generating capacity with 11.6 gigawatts.

Also, the report found that the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson, Miss., has the largest nuclear reactor in the United States, with 1,400 megawatts (MW) of capacity. The largest nuclear power plant is Palo Verde in western Arizona. Palo Verde has three reactors and is tops in annual generation, producing 32 million megawatt hours of electricity.

Two new nuclear reactors are under construction at the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia. Each has 1,100 MW of capacity.

Plus, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) says all but two reactors in the United States have applied for license renewals from the NRC. Also, the NRC approved a subsequent license renewal for two units of the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating facility, marking the first time a nuclear reactor’s lifespan has been extended from 60 to 80 years.