Nuclear power is the only energy source that delivers carbon-free, reliable energy 24 hours a day. Along with wind, solar, and energy storage, nuclear has a vital role in our carbon-free future.

Carbon-Free Energy We Can Count On 24/7/365

• Nuclear is carbon-free. It is the largest source of carbon-free electricity in the United States and protects our air quality by generating electricity without other harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter or mercury.  
• Nuclear is reliable. Nuclear plants are the most efficient source of electricity, operating 24/7 at a 93 percent average capacity factor. (Capacity factor is the ratio of the actual amount of electricity generated by a plant compared to the maximum amount that it could potentially generate.) That’s more than two times the capacity factor of any other carbon-free source. During the 2019 polar vortex, U.S. plants operated at more than 98 percent capacity. Nuclear plants can achieve these numbers because of world-class operations and because a plant only refuels once every 18-24 months.
• Nuclear is powerful. One uranium fuel pellet—about the size of a gummy bear—creates as much energy as one ton of coal, 149 gallons of oil or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas. A single nuclear power reactor generates enough electricity on average to power over 760,000 homes without emitting any greenhouse gases—that’s more than enough to power a city the size of Philadelphia. In fact, America’s 93 nuclear plants produce enough electricity to power 75 million homes.

Our Top Source of Carbon-Free Electricity

Nuclear energy provides more than half percent of carbon-free electricity in the United States, more than any other source. The amount of electricity generated with nuclear energy avoids the emissions of nearly 471 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year. That’s more than the emissions from nearly 100 million passenger vehicles.

An Essential Complement to Wind and Solar

Wind, solar, and energy storage can get us much of the way to a carbon-free future, but ensuring a balanced mix with nuclear energy will help us get there faster and more reliably. Nuclear provides dependable, always-on power and complements other carbon-free energy sources, which are not always available. When you combine nuclear’s contribution to carbon-free electricity with wind and solar, that’s over 80 percent of our clean energy. Small reactors will be able to integrate with intermittent sources and help provide electricity when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. The result is a more reliable, cleaner supply of electricity.

How Nuclear in the Energy Mix Benefits Our Communities

Nuclear energy contributes clean, reliable electricity to a diverse energy system. A diverse supply of fuels balances the benefits and risks associated with each source. In fact, a study by global information firm IHS Energy shows that losing “diversity in U.S. power grid will result in greater price fluctuations, higher power bills and create negative impacts throughout the economy.”

The study found that the current diverse electricity portfolio lowers the average retail price of electricity by 27 percent and reduces the variability of monthly consumer electricity bills by around 22 percent. That equals major savings for consumers. The study also found that losing this diversity would cause:

• a decline of U.S. gross domestic product by $158 billion
• a reduction in 1 million jobs
• $845 less in disposable income annually per household.