Nuclear power is projected to supply about 18% of US electricity generation in 2026, holding roughly steady with 2025 and easing from 19% in 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The share reflects a fleet whose total output has remained largely flat while overall electricity generation rises.

The stable share comes as total US power demand climbs to record levels, driven by data centers, manufacturing, and electrification. Because nuclear generation has stayed roughly constant while demand grows, its percentage of the total edges lower even as the absolute amount of nuclear electricity holds firm. The EIA's outlook projects nuclear capacity remaining largely flat across most scenarios through 2050, with the share settling in a range of about 12% to 15% by midcentury absent significant new construction.

The near-term data captures a fleet still dominated by large reactors built decades ago, supplemented recently by the completion of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 in Georgia. The EIA's broader 2026 outlook anticipates a major buildout of generating capacity overall to meet surging demand from computing loads.

Whether nuclear's share climbs later this decade depends on the pace of small modular reactor deployment, plant restarts, and uprates now underway. For now, the data frames nuclear as a stable, high-output contributor to the US grid. The figures were drawn from EIA data released in mid-2026.

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