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US Nuclear Power Plants

Carbon-free but not renewable, so counted separately from renewables. · EIA inventory, May 2026.

Plants

Total capacity

105.1 GW

7.5% of US capacity

Largest

4,658 MW

Vogtle, Georgia

Nuclear in the US fleet

Nuclear plants in the United States hold 105.1 GW of nameplate capacity — what the equipment could produce running flat out, not what it generated. Fifty-six plants across the country provided 7.5% of all US generating capacity as of May 2026. The fleet is heavily concentrated: eight states hold half the total capacity, and Illinois alone accounts for 11.8% nationally, with six plants contributing 23.6% of that state's own power supply. Pennsylvania follows with 10.0% of nuclear capacity nationally across five plants, and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and North Carolina round out the leading tier. Nuclear capacity exists in 28 states, but the top six states hold the bulk of it.

The largest sites by capacity are Vogtle in Georgia with 4,658 MW across four units, Palo Verde in Arizona with 4,210 MW across three units, and Browns Ferry in Alabama with 3,854 MW across three units. Turkey Point in Florida holds 2,978 MW, and Peach Bottom in Pennsylvania 2,876 MW. The oldest plant still listed came online in April 1966, while the newest, Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Tennessee, entered service in May 1996. This span of three decades marks the age structure of a fleet built up through that era.

Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.

Nuclear capacity by state

States ranked by nuclear generating capacity
#	State	Capacity	Plants	Of US total	Of state
1	Illinois	12,415 MW	6	11.8%	23.6%
2	Pennsylvania	10,513 MW	5	10.0%	19.8%
3	South Carolina	6,875 MW	4	6.5%	25.2%
4	Georgia	6,506 MW	2	6.2%	15.1%
5	Alabama	5,630 MW	2	5.4%	17.0%
6	North Carolina	5,395 MW	3	5.1%	13.5%
7	Texas	5,139 MW	2	4.9%	2.6%
8	Florida	5,138 MW	2	4.9%	6.3%
9	Tennessee	4,981 MW	2	4.7%	21.0%
10	Michigan	4,378 MW	3	4.2%	12.2%
11	Arizona	4,210 MW	1	4.0%	9.8%
12	New Jersey	3,673 MW	2	3.5%	20.2%
13	Virginia	3,655 MW	2	3.5%	11.6%
14	New York	3,398 MW	3	3.2%	7.6%
15	California	2,323 MW	1	2.2%	2.2%
16	Connecticut	2,260 MW	1	2.2%	20.6%
17	Ohio	2,237 MW	2	2.1%	6.3%
18	Louisiana	2,236 MW	2	2.1%	7.6%
19	Minnesota	1,871 MW	2	1.8%	9.4%
20	Maryland	1,850 MW	1	1.8%	13.9%
21	Arkansas	1,845 MW	1	1.8%	9.6%
22	Mississippi	1,440 MW	1	1.4%	8.0%
23	Wisconsin	1,311 MW	1	1.2%	6.6%
24	Kansas	1,296 MW	1	1.2%	6.1%
25	New Hampshire	1,242 MW	1	1.2%	27.1%
26	Missouri	1,236 MW	1	1.2%	5.3%
27	Washington	1,200 MW	1	1.1%	3.8%
28	Nebraska	801 MW	1	0.8%	6.6%

“Of US total” is the state’s share of all US nuclear capacity. “Of state” is how much of that state’s own capacity is nuclear. Each state links to its nuclear plants.

All nuclear plants, largest first

Nuclear power plants ranked by nameplate capacity
#	Plant	State	Capacity	Units	Online
1	VogtleBurke County	Georgia	4,658 MW	4	1987
2	Palo VerdeMaricopa County	Arizona	4,210 MW	3	1986
3	Browns FerryLimestone County	Alabama	3,854 MW	3	1974
4	Turkey PointMiami Dade County	Florida	2,978 MW	7	1972
5	Peach BottomYork County	Pennsylvania	2,876 MW	2	1974
6	South Texas ProjectMatagorda County	Texas	2,709 MW	2	1988
7	OconeeOconee County	South Carolina	2,667 MW	3	1973
8	Watts Bar Nuclear PlantRhea County	Tennessee	2,540 MW	2	1996
9	TalenEnergy SusquehannaLuzerne County	Pennsylvania	2,532 MW	2	1983
10	Braidwood Generation StationWill County	Illinois	2,450 MW	2	1988
11	Byron Generating StationOgle County	Illinois	2,450 MW	2	1985
12	SequoyahHamilton County	Tennessee	2,441 MW	2	1981
13	McGuireMecklenburg County	North Carolina	2,441 MW	2	1981
14	Comanche PeakSomervell County	Texas	2,430 MW	2	1990
15	CatawbaYork County	South Carolina	2,410 MW	2	1985
16	PSEG Salem Generating StationSalem County	New Jersey	2,382 MW	3	1971
17	LaSalle Generating StationLaSalle County	Illinois	2,340 MW	2	1984
18	Diablo CanyonSan Luis Obispo County	California	2,323 MW	2	1985
19	Donald C CookBerrien County	Michigan	2,285 MW	2	1975
20	LimerickMontgomery County	Pennsylvania	2,277 MW	2	1986
21	MillstoneNew London County	Connecticut	2,260 MW	2	1975
22	St LucieSt Lucie County	Florida	2,160 MW	2	1976
23	Dresden Generating StationGrundy County	Illinois	2,019 MW	2	1970
24	Quad Cities Generating StationRock Island County	Illinois	2,019 MW	2	1972
25	Brunswick NuclearBrunswick County	North Carolina	2,003 MW	2	1975
26	North AnnaLouisa County	Virginia	1,960 MW	3	1978
27	Nine Mile Point Nuclear StationOswego County	New York	1,901 MW	2	1969
28	Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power PlantCalvert County	Maryland	1,850 MW	2	1975
29	Edwin I HatchAppling County	Georgia	1,848 MW	2	1975
30	Beaver ValleyBeaver County	Pennsylvania	1,847 MW	2	1976
31	Arkansas Nuclear OnePope County	Arkansas	1,845 MW	2	1974
32	Joseph M FarleyHouston County	Alabama	1,776 MW	2	1977
33	SurrySurry County	Virginia	1,695 MW	2	1972
34	Grand GulfClaiborne County	Mississippi	1,440 MW	1	1985
35	PerryLake County	Ohio	1,312 MW	1	1987
36	Point Beach Nuclear PlantManitowoc County	Wisconsin	1,311 MW	3	1969
37	Wolf Creek Generating StationCoffey County	Kansas	1,296 MW	1	1985
38	PSEG Hope Creek Generating StationSalem County	New Jersey	1,291 MW	1	1986
39	FermiMonroe County	Michigan	1,281 MW	5	1966
40	SeabrookRockingham County	New Hampshire	1,242 MW	1	1990
41	CallawayCallaway County	Missouri	1,236 MW	1	1984
42	Columbia Generating StationBenton County	Washington	1,200 MW	1	1984
43	Waterford 3St Charles County	Louisiana	1,200 MW	1	1985
44	Prairie IslandGoodhue County	Minnesota	1,186 MW	2	1974
45	Clinton Power StationDeWitt County	Illinois	1,138 MW	1	1987
46	River BendWest Feliciana County	Louisiana	1,036 MW	1	1986
47	V C SummerFairfield County	South Carolina	1,030 MW	1	1984
48	Crane Clean Energy CenterDauphin County	Pennsylvania	981 MW	1	1974
49	Harris (NC)Wake County	North Carolina	951 MW	1	1987
50	Davis BesseOttawa County	Ohio	925 MW	1	1977
51	James A FitzpatrickOswego County	New York	883 MW	1	1976
52	PalisadesVan Buren County	Michigan	812 MW	1	1972
53	Cooper Nuclear StationNemaha County	Nebraska	801 MW	1	1974
54	H B RobinsonDarlington County	South Carolina	769 MW	1	1971
55	Monticello Nuclear FacilityWright County	Minnesota	685 MW	1	1971
56	R E Ginna Nuclear Power PlantWayne County	New York	614 MW	1	1970

Frequently asked questions

›How many nuclear power plants are there in the US?

56 nuclear plants, with a combined nameplate capacity of 105.1 GW — 7.5% of all US generating capacity.

›What is the largest nuclear plant in the US?

Vogtle in Burke County, Georgia, at 4,658 MW across 4 units, in service since May 1987. Palo Verde in Arizona is second at 4,210 MW.

›Which state has the most nuclear capacity?

Illinois, with 12,415 MW across 6 plants — 11.8% of the US total, and 23.6% of Illinois's own generating capacity. Pennsylvania is second at 10,513 MW.

›How old are US nuclear plants?

The oldest still listed is Fermi in Michigan, whose earliest unit entered service in April 1966. The most recent is Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Tennessee, online since May 1996.