Nuclear Power Plants -- Number, Capacity, and Generation statistics


Item	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999

Operable generating units ¹	1	1	2	3	3	9	11	13	13	14	15	13	17	20	22	27	42	55	57	63	67	70	69	71	75	78	81	87	96	101	107	109	111	112	111	109	110	109	109	109	107	104	104
Net summer capability ¹ ²(mil kW)	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.4	0.4	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8	1.7	2.7	2.7	4.4	7.0	9.0	14.5	22.7	31.9	37.3	43.8	46.3	50.8	49.7	51.8	56.0	60.0	63.0	69.7	79.4	85.2	93.6	94.7	98.2	99.6	99.6	99.0	99.1	99.1	99.5	100.8	99.7	97.1	97.2
Electricity generated (bil kWh)	(Z)	0.2	0.2	0.5	1.7	2.3	3.2	3.3	3.7	5.5	7.7	12.5	13.9	21.8	38.1	54.1	83.5	114.0	172.5	191.1	250.9	276.4	255.2	251.1	272.7	282.8	293.7	327.6	383.7	414.0	455.3	527.0	529.4	577.0	612.6	618.8	610.4	640.5	673.4	674.7	628.6	673.7	727.9
Percent of total electric utility
generation	(Z)	(Z)	(Z)	0.1	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.6	0.9	1.0	1.4	2.4	3.1	4.5	6.1	9.0	9.4	11.8	12.5	11.4	11.0	11.9	12.6	12.7	13.6	15.5	16.6	17.7	19.5	17.8	19.1	19.9	20.1	19.1	19.7	20.1	19.6	18.0	18.6	19.8
Capacity factor ³	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	53.5	47.8	55.9	54.7	63.3	64.5	58.4	56.3	58.2	56.6	54.4	56.3	58.0	56.9	57.4	63.5	62.2	66.0	70.2	70.9	70.5	73.8	77.4	76.2	71.1	78.2	85.5

NA Not available. Z Less than half the unit of measure.
1 As of yearend.
2 Net summer capability is the peak steady hourly output that generating equipment is expected to supply to system load, exclusive of auxiliary and other powerplant, as demonstrated by test at the time of summer peak demand.
3 Weighted average of monthly capacity factors. Monthly factors are derived by dividing actual monthly generation by the maximum possible generation for the month (hours in month times net maximum dependable capacity).

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review. http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelnuclear.html TERMS

Electric Utility: A corporation, person, agency, authority, or other legal entity or instrumentality that owns and/or operates facilities within the United States, its territories, or Puerto Rico for the generation, transmission, distribution, or sale of electric energy primarily for use by the public and files forms listed in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 18, Part 141. Facilities that qualify as cogenerators or small power producers under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) are not considered electric utilities.

Energy: The capacity for doing work as measured by the capability of doing work (potential energy) or the conversion of this capability to motion (kinetic energy). Energy has several forms, some of which are easily convertible and can be changed to another form useful for work. Most of the world's convertible energy comes from fossil fuels that are burned to produce heat that is then used as a transfer medium to mechanical or other means in order to accomplish tasks. Electrical energy is usually measured in kilowatthours, while heat energy is usually measured in British thermal units.

Net Generation: Gross generation minus plant use from all electric utility owned plants. The energy required for pumping at a pumped-storage plant is regarded as plant use and must be deducted from the gross generation.

Net Summer Capability: The steady hourly output, which generating equipment is expected to supply to system load exclusive of auxiliary power, as demonstrated by tests at the time of summer peak demand.

Nuclear Fuel: Fissionable materials that have been enriched to such a composition that, when placed in a nuclear reactor, will support a self-sustaining fission chain reaction, producing heat in a controlled manner for process use.

Nuclear Power Plant: A facility in which heat produced in a reactor by the fissioning of nuclear fuel is used to drive a steam turbine.

Operable Nuclear Unit: A nuclear unit is :q.operable:eq. after it completes low-power testing and is granted authorization to operate at full power. This occurs when it receives its full power amendment to its operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Power: The rate at which energy is transferred. Electrical energy is usually measured in watts. Also used for a measurement of capacity.

*

http://www.allcountries.org/uscensus/967_nuclear_power_plants_number_capacity_and.html

These tables are based on figures supplied by the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce and are subject to revision by the Census Bureau.

Copyright © 2006 Photius Coutsoukis and Information Technology Associates, all rights reserved.