The United States operates 94 nuclear reactors, the largest commercial nuclear fleet in the world, with combined net generating capacity of nearly 97 gigawatts, according to industry data compiled by the Nuclear Energy Institute. Nuclear power supplied about 18 percent of US electricity generation this year, a share the US Energy Information Administration expects to hold steady through 2027 even as overall electricity demand climbs to record levels.

The US nuclear fleet operated at a capacity factor above 92 percent in 2024, the highest average capacity factor of any electricity source in the country, reflecting continued improvements in how utilities manage planned and unplanned reactor outages. Nuclear plants operate in nearly 30 states, anchoring local economies and providing round the clock power that does not depend on weather conditions.

Industry figures show the fleet has sustained capacity factors above 90 percent for more than two decades, a performance level that exceeds natural gas, coal, wind and solar generation. That reliability record has become a factor in utility planning as data centers supporting artificial intelligence computing drive some of the fastest electricity demand growth the country has seen in decades.

Utilities and federal officials have pointed to the existing reactor fleet's steady output as a foundation for expanding nuclear capacity through both large reactor uprates and new small modular reactor projects. Federal loan programs and Department of Energy funding have targeted the domestic supply chain that supports the existing fleet, including the uranium enrichment capacity needed to keep reactors fueled over the coming decade.

Source: Nuclear Energy Institute - https://www.nei.org/resources/statistics