Yes, nuclear power plants are very much still in use. As of 2024, 406 commercial nuclear reactors operate across the globe, and many countries are building new ones. Far from fading away, nuclear energy is experiencing a revival driven by climate goals and growing electricity demand.
How Much Electricity Nuclear Provides Today
Globally, those 406 reactors generate a combined capacity of roughly 367 gigawatts. The United States alone operates 94 reactors with nearly 97 gigawatts of capacity, making it the largest nuclear fleet in the world. Nuclear accounts for about 19% of all U.S. electricity generation, a share it has held relatively steadily for years.
Nuclear’s share varies dramatically by country. France gets the majority of its electricity from nuclear plants. Other major nuclear producers include China, Russia, South Korea, and Canada. In total, nuclear provides roughly 10% of the world’s electricity, placing it among the largest sources of low-carbon power alongside hydroelectric dams.
New Reactors Under Construction
Sixty-seven reactors are currently under construction worldwide. China leads by a wide margin with 33 units being built, reflecting the country’s aggressive push to expand its nuclear fleet alongside renewables. India has 6 reactors under construction, Russia has 4, and Turkey and Egypt each have 4 as part of entirely new nuclear programs.
In Western nations, construction has been slower but is picking up. The United Kingdom is building 2 new reactors, and the United States recently brought its first new large-scale reactors online in decades. Georgia Power’s Vogtle Unit 3 began commercial operation in July 2023, followed by the 1,114-megawatt Unit 4 in March 2024. Those two reactors alone can power roughly 1 million homes.
Countries like Bangladesh, Egypt, and Turkey are joining the nuclear club for the first time, signaling that the technology is expanding into new markets rather than contracting.
Some Countries Are Going the Other Direction
Not every country is expanding. Germany completed its nuclear phase-out on April 15, 2023, when it shut down its last three operating plants: Isar 2, Emsland, and Neckarwestheim 2. Those plants are now being dismantled. Germany’s decision, rooted in safety concerns following the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan, made it the most prominent nation to fully abandon nuclear power.
Italy and Austria also do not operate nuclear plants. But these cases are exceptions to the broader global trend, which is moving toward maintaining or growing nuclear capacity.
Why Nuclear Is Getting a Second Look
The biggest driver behind nuclear’s revival is climate change. Nuclear plants produce electricity with extremely low carbon emissions. Over their full lifecycle, including construction, fuel mining, and decommissioning, nuclear plants emit roughly 12 to 33 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour depending on the estimation method. A natural gas plant, by comparison, emits about 490 grams per kilowatt-hour. That makes nuclear’s carbon footprint comparable to wind and solar.
Nuclear also stands out for reliability. Nuclear plants run at full power more than 92% of the time over the course of a year. That capacity factor is nearly double what natural gas and coal plants achieve, and roughly three times higher than wind and solar. This matters because electricity grids need sources that can produce power around the clock regardless of weather conditions. A single nuclear plant can generate enormous amounts of electricity on a small footprint of land, running continuously for 18 to 24 months between refueling stops.
The International Energy Agency has projected that reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 would require global nuclear capacity to rise above 1,000 gigawatts, nearly tripling today’s installed base. Annual investment in nuclear would need to exceed $150 billion by 2030 to stay on that track.
Existing Plants Are Staying Open Longer
In the U.S., the strategy isn’t just about building new reactors. It’s also about keeping existing ones running far longer than originally planned. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission now allows plants to apply for licenses extending their operation to 80 years, up from the original 40-year design life (with a standard 20-year renewal to 60).
Several plants have already received these 80-year licenses. Turkey Point in Florida, Peach Bottom in Pennsylvania, Surry and North Anna in Virginia, and multiple others now have approval to operate into the 2030s and 2040s under extended licenses. More applications are under review, including for the H.B. Robinson plant in South Carolina and the Hatch plant in Georgia. This trend suggests that a significant portion of America’s nuclear fleet will remain operational for decades to come.
Small Modular Reactors on the Horizon
The next wave of nuclear technology centers on small modular reactors, often called SMRs. These are factory-built units much smaller than traditional plants, typically producing around 300 megawatts compared to the 1,000-plus megawatts of a conventional reactor. The appeal is lower upfront cost, faster construction timelines, and the flexibility to place them in locations where a full-size plant wouldn’t be practical.
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $400 million to the Tennessee Valley Authority to deploy a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 reactor at the Clinch River site in Tennessee. Another $400 million went to Holtec, which plans to build two SMR-300 units at the former Palisades nuclear site in Michigan. These projects are designed to prove that SMRs can be built and operated commercially, paving the way for broader adoption. Neither is generating power yet, but they represent the closest the technology has come to real-world deployment in the United States.
Several other countries, including Canada, the UK, and China, are pursuing their own SMR designs at various stages of development and regulatory review.
The Bottom Line on Nuclear’s Status
Nuclear power is not a relic of the 20th century. With 406 reactors running, 67 more under construction, aging plants receiving life extensions to 80 years, and a new generation of smaller reactors attracting billions in investment, nuclear energy is positioned as a growing part of the global electricity mix rather than a shrinking one.