Licensing durations for nuclear power plants in the United States vary according to the license type, with design certifications having the longest duration on average. A design certification grants approval for a nuclear power plant design – as the name indicates – but is independent of an application to construct or operate a plant. For instance, operating licenses in the U.S. have a duration of up to 3.5 years and licensing costs of about 42 million U.S. dollars.
Licensing timeframe for nuclear power plants in the United States as of 2023, by license type
(in years)
NRC generic schedules are listed in the table. The following figures reflect historical performance that has exceeded the generic schedules:
Design certification (4-9 years)
Combined operating license (4 years)
Early site permit (3-6 years)
Operating license (8 years)
Both the generic and
historical schedules shown in this statistic do not include the pre-application, acceptance, commission approval, and hearings/rulemakings phases, which add between one and three to the overall schedule.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
NEI, & Canadian Nuclear Association. (September 19, 2023). Licensing timeframe for nuclear power plants in the United States as of 2023, by license type (in years) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 23, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450533/nuclear-power-plants-licensing-duration-us/
NEI, und Canadian Nuclear Association. "Licensing timeframe for nuclear power plants in the United States as of 2023, by license type (in years)." Chart. September 19, 2023. Statista. Accessed November 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450533/nuclear-power-plants-licensing-duration-us/
NEI, Canadian Nuclear Association. (2023). Licensing timeframe for nuclear power plants in the United States as of 2023, by license type (in years). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450533/nuclear-power-plants-licensing-duration-us/
NEI, and Canadian Nuclear Association. "Licensing Timeframe for Nuclear Power Plants in The United States as of 2023, by License Type (in Years)." Statista, Statista Inc., 19 Sep 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450533/nuclear-power-plants-licensing-duration-us/
NEI & Canadian Nuclear Association, Licensing timeframe for nuclear power plants in the United States as of 2023, by license type (in years) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450533/nuclear-power-plants-licensing-duration-us/ (last visited November 23, 2024)
Licensing timeframe for nuclear power plants in the United States as of 2023, by license type (in years) [Graph], NEI, & Canadian Nuclear Association, September 19, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1450533/nuclear-power-plants-licensing-duration-us/
