Nuclear electricity generated in the United States cost 30.92 U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour in 2022. Production costs were highest in 2012, when they came to 51.22 U.S. dollars in 2022 prices, but have decreased ever since. Some 775 terawatt-hours of electricity is generated by U.S. nuclear plants every year.
Capacity factor of nuclear power
Among all the U.S. energy sources, nuclear power has by far the highest capacity factor and is dependable and efficient. In 2023, nuclear power reactors generated more than 93% of the electrical energy that could have been produced at continuous full power operation in 2023.
Outage patterns and maintenance of nuclear plants
Despite having a high capacity factor, nuclear plants experienced peak average daily outages of nearly 22 gigawatts in April and October of the last few years. These outages, planned for low-demand periods, reflect necessary refueling and maintenance. As of October 2023, the average duration of these refueling outages was 35 days, illustrating the balance between high operational efficiency and periodic maintenance required to sustain reliable performance.
Electricity production costs for nuclear power plants in the United States from 2002 to 2022
(in U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour)
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NEI. (December 31, 2023). Electricity production costs for nuclear power plants in the United States from 2002 to 2022 (in U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/184754/cost-of-nuclear-electricity-production-in-the-us-since-2000/
NEI. "Electricity production costs for nuclear power plants in the United States from 2002 to 2022 (in U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour)." Chart. December 31, 2023. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/184754/cost-of-nuclear-electricity-production-in-the-us-since-2000/
NEI. (2023). Electricity production costs for nuclear power plants in the United States from 2002 to 2022 (in U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/184754/cost-of-nuclear-electricity-production-in-the-us-since-2000/
NEI. "Electricity Production Costs for Nuclear Power Plants in The United States from 2002 to 2022 (in U.S. Dollars per Megawatt-hour)." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Dec 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/184754/cost-of-nuclear-electricity-production-in-the-us-since-2000/
NEI, Electricity production costs for nuclear power plants in the United States from 2002 to 2022 (in U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/184754/cost-of-nuclear-electricity-production-in-the-us-since-2000/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
Electricity production costs for nuclear power plants in the United States from 2002 to 2022 (in U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour) [Graph], NEI, December 31, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/184754/cost-of-nuclear-electricity-production-in-the-us-since-2000/
