U.S. annual nuclear net generation rose for 3 consecutive years through 2025. The 2025 total was the highest since 2020, but remained below the 2019 series peak, shown in amber. Source: EIA Monthly Energy Review, nuclear net generation, 1957–2025.
This is a recovery narrative, not a record claim. The peak year, increase streak and most recent higher year are computed from the generation series during every build. See the generation mix in context on U.S. Energy Facts.
The July 2026 EIA-860M nuclear fleet
The preliminary monthly inventory contains 96 nuclear units at 56 plants on its Operating tab. Of those, 94 units at 54 plants carry EIA's OP status. Palisades carries OA and Crane Clean Energy Center carries OS, so both remain in the table but not in the operating-fleet total.
EIA-860M July 2026: 768.5 MW net summer; 1 (OA) Out of service but expected to return to service in next calendar year (unit 1). Announcement figures below use their own visible measure labels.
DOE describes Palisades as the first restart of a commercial nuclear reactor in decommissioning and reports federal financing support for the project.
Announced output: 800 MW
Measure: company-stated approximate output
DOE loan guarantee: up to $1.52 billion
Disbursed through the sixth disbursement: $491.1 million
DOE description: first restart of a commercial nuclear reactor in decommissioning
The July 2026 EIA-860M inventory lists Palisades as out of service but expected to return in the next calendar year. Holtec's last dated grid-connection projection preceded that inventory, so it is shown as a projection, not as the plant's current status.
EIA-860M status: OA: out of service but expected to return to service in the next calendar year
Holtec projection published: January 5, 2026
Holtec's dated projection: grid connection most likely by the end of February 2026
EIA-860M July 2026: 802.8 MW net summer; 1 (OS) Out of service and NOT expected to return to service in next calendar year (unit 1). Announcement figures below use their own visible measure labels.
Constellation announced a 20-year Microsoft power purchase agreement associated with restarting the former Three Mile Island Unit 1 as the Crane Clean Energy Center, with the project expected online in 2028.
Announced agreement term: 20 years
Announced output: ~835 MW
Measure: company-stated approximate output
Duane Arnold retired in 2020 and is not on the July 2026 EIA-860M Operating tab; it appears here only because of the dated restart announcement below.
NextEra Energy announced a 25-year Google power purchase agreement associated with a proposed Duane Arnold restart, pending regulatory approvals, with the plant projected online by the first quarter of 2029.
Announced agreement term: 25 years
Announced output: 615 MW
Measure: company-stated approximate output
Restart claims last verified 2026-08-29. The planned EIA-860M tab also lists the Kemmerer and Project Matador SMR projects; new-build coverage is outside this fleet snapshot.
Uranium production and purchases
The uranium figures have a yearly refresh cadence and describe different measures: domestic concentrate production, total purchases by U.S. nuclear plant owners and operators, the weighted-average purchase price, and shares by origin.
U.S. uranium concentrate production reached its highest annual level since 2017 and was more than three times the 2024 total.
Uranium concentrate production: 2.1 million pounds U3O8
Measure: 2025 U.S. uranium concentrate production
U.S. nuclear plant owners and operators bought uranium from several countries in 2025, led by Canada and Kazakhstan. The U.S. share was 7%, down from 8% in 2024.
Purchased: 46.9 million pounds U3O8 equivalent
Measure: 2025 U.S. uranium purchases
The fleet snapshot was retrieved 2026-08-29 from the named July 2026 workbook; EIA listed the next release for 2026-09-24. Its SHA-256 is 9f348be6d6609b7e0c49a8c3cf872354a3bd2370051d0d4720246dc81bbe540d. The ingester requires the exact 37-column Operating-tab header, matching Technology and energy-source predicates, the frozen status distribution, and the independent operating-fleet gate before it writes this committed file.
EIA-860M: preliminary fleet inventory, July 2026 vintage.
Annual net generation is recovering: it increased for 3 consecutive years through 2025, reaching 784.8 TWh, but remained below the 2019 peak of 809.4 TWh. Source: EIA electric power operational data.
How many nuclear plants and reactors are operating in the United States?
The July 2026 preliminary EIA-860M inventory contains 94 reactors with OP status at 54 plants. That matches EIA FAQ 207, which reports 94 operating commercial reactors at 54 plants as of March 2026.
What is the largest U.S. nuclear power plant?
Vogtle is the largest, with four reactors and 4,530 MW of net summer capacity as of March 2026, according to EIA FAQ 207.
Where does the uranium bought by U.S. nuclear plants come from?
In 2025, Canada supplied 32% of purchases, Kazakhstan 28%, Australia 15%, and the United States 7%, according to the EIA Uranium Marketing Annual Report.
When did the United States last complete a nuclear reactor?
Vogtle Unit 4 entered commercial operation on April 29, 2024, according to Georgia Power.
