Nuclear Power in the US 2026
Nuclear power remains one of the most important sources of reliable, always-on electricity in the United States, and by 2026 it is experiencing a genuine resurgence after decades of stagnant growth. The country currently operates 96 nuclear power reactors across 57 commercial nuclear power plants spread over 28 states, generating carbon-free electricity around the clock at capacity factors that consistently outperform every other major energy source. This existing fleet, much of it built decades ago, still forms the single largest source of clean electricity generation in the country, producing roughly 18% of all US electricity while occupying a comparatively small physical and land footprint relative to its output.
What makes 2026 a genuinely pivotal year for US nuclear power is the convergence of two forces: renewed federal policy support through executive orders and Department of Energy funding aimed at accelerating new reactor construction, and surging electricity demand from AI data centers and cloud computing infrastructure that increasingly require the kind of firm, round-the-clock baseload power that nuclear uniquely provides. This has triggered a wave of new investment in both traditional large-scale reactors and a new generation of small modular reactors (SMRs), positioning nuclear power as a central pillar of America’s energy strategy for the first time in a generation. This report compiles the most current, verified nuclear power statistics for the US in 2026, covering the existing reactor fleet, generating capacity, electricity output, the emerging SMR industry, jobs, fuel costs, and how the US compares globally.
Interesting Facts About Nuclear Power in the US 2026
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Operating nuclear power reactors (March 2026) | 96 |
| Commercial nuclear power plants | 57 |
| States with nuclear reactors | 28 |
| Total nuclear generating capacity | ~97 GW (96,900 MW) |
| Share of US electricity generation from nuclear (2025) | 17.70% |
| Share of US generating capacity from nuclear | 7.32% |
| Implied nuclear capacity factor (2025) | 92.5% |
| US jobs supported by nuclear energy | 475,000 |
| State with the most reactors | Illinois (11 reactors) |
| Newest reactor to enter commercial service | Vogtle Unit 4 (April 2024) |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), usnuclearpowerplants.com
As a content writer breaking down these numbers, the standout figure is the gap between nuclear’s share of installed capacity (7.32%) and its share of actual electricity generation (17.70%) — a ratio unmatched by any other major power source in the country. This happens because nuclear plants run at an extraordinarily high 92.5% implied capacity factor, meaning they operate near-continuously, while solar (24.4%) and wind (34.2%) generate far less electricity relative to their installed capacity due to weather and daylight variability. In practical terms, every megawatt of nuclear capacity built in the US produces roughly four times the electricity of an equivalent megawatt of installed solar capacity.
The 475,000 jobs supported by the nuclear industry also stand out as a testament to how labor-intensive nuclear operations remain compared to other generation types, spanning everything from reactor operators and engineers to the broader uranium supply chain. With Illinois hosting 11 reactors — more than any other state — and generating 12% of the entire country’s nuclear electricity output, it’s clear that nuclear power’s geographic footprint remains heavily concentrated in a handful of states with long-established nuclear infrastructure, even as new federal policy pushes to diversify that footprint through smaller, more flexible reactor designs.
US Nuclear Reactor and Plant Statistics 2026
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total operating reactors (March 2026) | 96 |
| Total commercial nuclear plants | 57 |
| States hosting nuclear reactors | 28 |
| Illinois reactor count (most of any state) | 11 |
| Illinois share of total US nuclear capacity | 12% |
| Illinois nameplate capacity | 11,592 MW |
| Largest US nuclear plant | Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Georgia |
| Smallest US nuclear facility | R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, New York |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), FAQ data as of March 2026
As of March 2026, the EIA confirms the United States operates 96 commercial nuclear reactors spread across 57 plants in 28 states, a footprint that has remained remarkably stable even as individual reactors have retired and new ones have entered service over the past decade. Illinois stands out clearly as the nation’s nuclear power center, hosting 11 reactors — more than any other state — with a combined nameplate capacity of 11,592 megawatts, representing 12% of the entire country’s total operating nuclear generation capacity.
At the extremes of scale, the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia holds the title of the largest single nuclear facility in the country, a distinction reinforced by the 2024 completion of its two-reactor expansion project, while the R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant in New York remains the smallest operating nuclear facility in the US fleet. This wide range in plant sizes reflects decades of different design philosophies across the industry’s build-out, from the smaller single-reactor plants constructed in the 1960s and 70s to the massive multi-unit complexes built in later decades to maximize the economics of nuclear construction.
The distribution across 28 states also isn’t uniform in another important sense: some states like Illinois, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina host multiple large multi-reactor plants, while many others operate just a single facility, and 22 states have no commercial nuclear generation at all. This concentration matters for regional grid planning, since states without nuclear capacity depend more heavily on natural gas, coal, or long-distance transmission to secure the kind of firm baseload power that nuclear-hosting states can draw on locally, a dynamic that is increasingly shaping where utilities and data center developers are choosing to locate new large-load electricity customers in 2026.
US Nuclear Generating Capacity Statistics 2026
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Net summer capacity (2022) | 94.66 GW |
| Net summer capacity (2023) | 95.75 GW |
| Total nuclear capacity (2026, current estimate) | ~97 GW |
| US total capacity, global ranking | 1st worldwide (102 GW as of mid-2024) |
| Newest reactor nameplate capacity | 1,114 MW (Vogtle Unit 4) |
| Smallest individual reactors | 593 MW nameplate (Prairie Island, Minnesota) |
Source: EIA Monthly Energy Review, Statista/EIA capacity data, EIA FAQ
Nuclear generating capacity in the US has grown modestly but steadily in recent years, climbing from 94.66 gigawatts in 2022 to 95.75 gigawatts in 2023, and reaching approximately 97 gigawatts by 2026 — a relatively small increase in percentage terms, but a meaningful one given how few new reactors have entered service industry-wide over the past several decades. The completion of Vogtle Unit 4 in April 2024, adding 1,114 megawatts of nameplate capacity, represented the first genuinely new nuclear capacity addition of real scale in years and helped push the fleet total past the 97 GW mark.
At the individual reactor level, capacity varies enormously across the fleet — the twin units at Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant in Minnesota rank among the smallest, at roughly 593 megawatts of nameplate capacity each, while the newest reactors coming online push past 1,100 megawatts per unit. This capacity growth, however modest, has kept the United States firmly in the position of the world’s largest single holder of nuclear generating capacity, a lead that becomes especially significant when data center and AI-driven electricity demand growth is factored into future capacity planning across the entire US grid.
US Nuclear Electricity Generation and Capacity Factor Statistics 2026
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Nuclear electricity generation (11 months of 2025) | 782.0 billion kWh |
| Net generation growth vs. same period 2024 | +1.0% |
| Nuclear share of total US electricity (2025) | 17.70% |
| Median 3-year capacity factor (2022-2024) | 90.96% |
| Capacity factor (2023, EIA/Statista) | 93.1% |
| Implied nameplate capacity factor (2025) | 92.5% |
| Nuclear capacity factor vs. natural gas (58.4%) | +32.6 percentage points |
| Nuclear capacity factor vs. utility-scale solar (24.4%) | +66.6 percentage points |
Source: IBISWorld Nuclear Power Industry Report, EIA Electric Power Monthly, American Nuclear Society (ANS)
The single most important statistic distinguishing nuclear power from every other electricity source in the US is its capacity factor — the percentage of maximum possible output a plant actually generates over time. US reactors posted a median 90.96% capacity factor across 2022-2024, according to the American Nuclear Society, and generated 782.0 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity through the first 11 months of 2025 alone, an increase of 1.0% compared to the same period the year before, according to EIA data cited in recent industry analysis.
This reliability gap explains why nuclear continues to punch so far above its capacity-share weight in actual generation: at a 92.5% implied capacity factor, nuclear plants run almost continuously, compared to 58.4% for natural gas, 48.7% for coal, 34.2% for wind, and just 24.4% for utility-scale solar. In practical grid-planning terms, this means nuclear remains the backbone “firm power” resource that utilities and grid operators lean on heavily during periods of peak demand or when weather-dependent renewable sources underperform, a role that is becoming increasingly valuable as electricity demand climbs with the growth of AI data centers across the country.
US Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Statistics 2026
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Advanced reactor pilot projects selected by DOE | 11 |
| DOE criticality target date | July 4, 2026 |
| Microreactors reaching first criticality (confirmed) | 2 (Valar Ward-250, June 18; Deployable Energy Unity, July 2) |
| US-Japan SMR investment partnership (March 2026) | $40 billion |
| Planned capacity from US-Japan BWRX-300 deal | 3 GW (Tennessee and Alabama) |
| DOE Gen III+ SMR Pathway award total (May 2026) | $94+ million to 8 companies |
| Largest single Gen III+ award | $400 million (Holtec, Palisades, Michigan) |
| TerraPower Natrium construction permit | First-ever NRC permit for non-light-water commercial reactor |
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, EUCI, Yale Clean Energy Forum, smrintel.com State of SMR 2026 report
2026 has emerged as a landmark year for small modular reactors (SMRs) in the United States, driven directly by the Trump administration’s May 2025 executive orders and the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, which selected 11 advanced reactor projects with a goal of getting at least three reactors to criticality by July 4, 2026. That target has already been partially met, with Aalo Atomics’ Critical Test Reactor and other microreactor projects — including Valar Ward-250 and Deployable Energy Unity — achieving first criticality in June and July 2026 respectively, marking genuine operational milestones rather than just funding announcements.
Beyond the pilot program, large-scale commercial investment has followed close behind: a $40 billion US-Japan Strategic Investment partnership announced in March 2026 will deploy GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 SMRs across sites in Tennessee and Alabama, targeting 3 gigawatts of new baseload capacity, while the DOE’s Generation III+ SMR Pathway to Deployment Program distributed over $94 million across eight companies in May 2026 to address supply chain and licensing bottlenecks. Separately, TerraPower’s Natrium fast reactor project in Kemmerer, Wyoming received the first-ever NRC construction permit issued for a non-light-water commercial power reactor in March 2026, breaking ground the following month — a genuinely historic regulatory milestone for advanced reactor technology in the US. For readers researching how nuclear technology has been deployed successfully overseas, our Barakah Nuclear Plant Statistics in UAE report offers a useful international case study in large-scale nuclear buildout.
US Nuclear Industry Jobs and Economic Statistics 2026
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total US jobs supported by nuclear energy | 475,000 |
| Nuclear share of total US electricity production (IAEA, 2024) | ~18% |
| Nuclear industry generation revenue context | 782.0 billion kWh generated (11 months of 2025) |
| Net generation growth (2025 vs. 2024) | +1.0% |
| New reactor pressure vessel manufacturing investment (BWXT, Indiana) | $21.4 million (DOE-supported) |
| Nuclear quality assurance facility expansion (Tennessee) | $547,900 (DOE-supported) |
Source: IAEA Country Nuclear Power Profiles, IBISWorld, U.S. Department of Energy
The nuclear power industry supports approximately 475,000 jobs across the United States, spanning reactor operations, engineering, maintenance, fuel fabrication, and the broader uranium supply chain — a labor footprint that reflects the technically demanding, highly regulated nature of nuclear plant operations compared to less labor-intensive generation types like solar or wind. According to the IAEA’s Country Nuclear Power Profile, nuclear power produced nearly 18% of total US electricity as of the most recent full assessment, cementing its position as a major employer within the broader domestic energy sector.
New federal investment is also flowing directly into expanding the manufacturing base that supports this workforce: BWXT Nuclear Energy received $21.4 million in DOE support to procure equipment for reactor pressure vessel assembly at its Mount Vernon, Indiana facility, while smaller grants — including $547,900 to a Tennessee-based quality assurance facility — are specifically aimed at expanding domestic capacity to manufacture components for the next generation of Gen III+ SMRs. This targeted investment in supply chain infrastructure suggests policymakers are treating workforce and manufacturing capacity constraints as seriously as reactor design and licensing challenges in the broader push to expand US nuclear capacity through the remainder of the decade.
US Nuclear Fuel and Uranium Price Statistics 2026
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Uranium spot price (end of July 2026) | $86.36 per pound |
| Price stability since | February 2026 |
| HALEU fuel enrichment range | 5% to under 20% uranium-235 |
| Framatome HALEU fuel fabrication site | Richland, Washington (NRC-approved) |
| TRISO-X fuel partnership | X-energy Reactor Company |
| Fuel assemblies delivered historically (Framatome HTP technology) | 20,000+ across 11 countries |
Source: Cameco (via American Nuclear Society Nuclear Newswire), NRC filings, Neutron Bytes
Uranium prices have remained comparatively stable through much of 2026, with the end-of-July spot price sitting at $86.36 per pound, according to Cameco data reported by the American Nuclear Society — essentially unchanged from levels recorded back in February 2026. This price stability comes even as demand signals from the expanding SMR sector have intensified, suggesting the fuel supply chain has, for now, kept pace with the early stages of the advanced reactor buildout rather than triggering the kind of price spikes that might otherwise accompany a genuine supply crunch.
A significant portion of the emerging demand is centered on high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), a fuel type enriched between 5% and just under 20% uranium-235 that many next-generation SMR designs require instead of the lower-enrichment fuel used in traditional light-water reactors. The NRC’s approval of Framatome’s Richland, Washington facility for HALEU fuel fabrication, alongside new supply partnerships like X-energy’s TRISO-X fuel arrangement, reflects the industry’s recognition that fuel supply infrastructure — not just reactor design and construction — represents one of the critical bottlenecks standing between today’s pilot-scale SMR projects and full commercial-scale deployment later in the decade.
Global Nuclear Capacity Comparison Statistics 2026
| Country | Nuclear Capacity |
|---|---|
| United States | 102 GW (July 2024) |
| France | 64 GW |
| China | 58 GW |
| Russia | 29 GW |
| South Korea | 27 GW |
| Canada | 15 GW |
| World total nuclear capacity | 396 GW |
| Additional capacity under development globally | 299 GW |
| China’s added capacity (2025) | 1.1 GW |
| China’s added capacity (2026, through May) | 2.2 GW |
| China’s reactors under construction | 36 (49%+ of global total) |
Source: Global Energy Monitor, IAEA Power Reactor Information System (PRIS), EIA International Energy Statistics
The United States remains the clear global leader in installed nuclear generating capacity, holding roughly 102 gigawatts as of mid-2024 — comfortably ahead of France (64 GW), China (58 GW), Russia (29 GW), South Korea (27 GW), and Canada (15 GW). Against a global total nuclear capacity of 396 gigawatts, with a further 299 gigawatts currently in some stage of development, planning, or construction worldwide, the US position at the top of the leaderboard reflects the scale of its decades-old reactor fleet rather than recent build-out activity, since most of its capacity was constructed well before the current nuclear renaissance began.
That leadership position, however, is not guaranteed to hold indefinitely. China is adding nuclear capacity at a rapid clip, with 1.1 GW added in 2025 and a further 2.2 GW added through May 2026 alone, and currently has 36 reactors under construction — accounting for more than 49% of all nuclear construction activity happening anywhere in the world right now, according to the IAEA’s Power Reactor Information System. If China’s current construction pipeline is completed as planned, most independent energy analysts expect the country to eventually overtake the United States in total installed nuclear capacity within the coming decade, even as America’s own SMR and advanced reactor programs work to narrow that long-term trajectory gap. For context on how other clean energy sources are scaling alongside nuclear in the US, our Renewable Energy Statistics in US report breaks down the parallel growth of solar, wind, and battery storage capacity, while readers interested in how fossil fuel infrastructure compares to nuclear’s role in the broader energy mix may find our Largest Oil Refinery Statistics report a useful complementary resource.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
