Key Issues
Need for New Nuclear Plants
Concerns about rising electricity demand and clean air are among the factors driving interest in new nuclear plants. Nuclear energy is the only electricity source that can generate electricity 24/7 reliably, efficiently and with no greenhouse-gas emissions. For more information, see the NEI policy brief on new plants
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What's Driving Interest in New Nuclear Plants?
Electricity DemandThe U.S. Department of Energy projects that the United States will need 25 percent more electricity by 2030.
Clean Air
Concern about air pollution is leading to increasingly tight restrictions on emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury. The federal government also is considering regulation of emissions of carbon dioxide, the principle greenhouse gas. Nuclear energy accounts for nearly three-quarters of the U.S. electric generation that emits none of these.
Excellent Performance
The nation’s 104 nuclear power plants operate at high levels of safety, reliability and affordability. Results from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s reactor oversight process, posted on the agency’s Web site, show consistently high safety performance across the industry.
The average capacity factor for nuclear plants—a measure of reliability—has remained at an electric industry-leading 90 percent since 2000. In addition, nuclear plants are among the lowest-cost electricity providers, producing electricity for about 1.72 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Price Volatility
Natural gas fuels nearly all the electric generating capacity built in the past 10 years. The nation has placed unsustainable demand on the natural gas supply, and that means continuing volatility in prices.
American Public Supports Nuclear Energy
A national survey conducted by Bisconti Research Inc. in September 2006 found a high level of support for nuclear energy among the public, with 68 percent saying they favor nuclear energy as one way to generate electricity and 49 percent saying there is a need to build more nuclear plants.Viewpoints on Nuclear Energy
New Nuclear Plant Status
Priorities for the 110th Congress
The top priority of the nuclear energy industry in the 110th Congress is to facilitate the construction of new nuclear plants to provide clean, reliable baseload electricity.