U.S. nuclear power plants generated roughly 782 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2024, equal to about 19 percent of the nation's total generation, according to federal energy data. The United States remains the world's largest producer of nuclear electricity, well ahead of any other country, and just five nations account for about 71 percent of global nuclear generation capacity.

Nuclear's contribution stands out for its consistency. The fleet operated at a capacity factor of about 92 percent in 2024, far above the figures for natural gas, coal, wind, and solar generation. That reliability allows a relatively small number of plants to supply a disproportionately large and steady share of electricity, providing baseload power that runs regardless of weather or time of day.

Federal policy is now aimed at expanding that base. The Department of Energy has launched an initiative to add 5 gigawatts of nuclear capacity through uprates at existing plants and the restart of idled units, a faster path to new output than greenfield construction. With electricity demand rising sharply from data centers and electrification, analysts expect nuclear's role as a firm, carbon-free resource to draw continued investment and policy support through the rest of the decade.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration - https://www.eia.gov/nuclear/generation/