US nuclear electricity, units and capacity

Annual US nuclear net generation, year-end operable units and net summer capacity from EIA, with a 1990-based chart series.

  • 50 US states and Washington, DC; chart 1990–2025; full annual series 1957–2025.
  • Snapshot: 14 October 2026 · Free CSV + ZIP
Download full CSVDownload complete ZIP

ZIP includes frozen inputs, complete reproduction files, reviewed chart variants, source attribution and method notes.

Chart / summary CSVMobile chart PNG

What the chart shows

US nuclear generation rose 36.0% between 1990 and 2025 while the year-end operable-unit count fell from 112 to 94.

Annual net generation increased from 576.862 to 784.781 TWh. Year-end net summer capacity declined 2.8%, and operable units declined 16.1%. Units differ in size, so the reactor count is not a measure of generating capability.

View chart
Indexed US nuclear series from 1990 to 2025: net generation rises 36.0%, year-end net summer capacity falls 2.8%, and operable units fall 16.1%.
Desktop original; mobile chart. Operable units include some long shutdowns; the count is not the number generating throughout the year.

Method

Select EIA annual records with YYYYMM ending in 13; do not sum monthly rows. Keep all 69 annual rows and chart every year 1990–2025. Divide each series by its own 1990 value and multiply by 100. The 1990 baseline is the maximum year-end unit count in the full series.

Definitions and limits

  • Operable units include some long shutdowns; the count is not the number generating throughout the year.
  • Generation is an annual flow; units and net summer capacity are year-end snapshots. The chart does not establish causes of the change.
  • Partial 2026 data are excluded. Missing source values remain empty; no interpolation or outlier deletion is used.
  • The uncharted EIA capacity-factor series changes methodology in 2008. EIA can revise published figures.

Sources and reuse

EIA numerical data are in the US public domain. Retain acknowledgement of EIA and the September 2026 Monthly Energy Review. EIA logos and protected third-party media are not included. Original Meplar charts and code are separate works; no new license for them is asserted here.

Source terms · Full fields, provenance and reproduction notes · Download checksums

All datasets ↗