Nuclear Energy Beats the Heat in Summer

Nuclear energy plants maintain an industry-leading average reliability of nearly 90 percent, with many of America’s 100 nuclear power plants routinely operating at full capacity over extended periods during our hottest months. Nuclear plant operators carry off their month-long refueling and maintenance activity in the spring and fall, when electricity demand is low. Thus, when peak demand hits in the summer and winter, they are ready to reliably produce vital power.

The Nuclear Energy Institute has a new multimedia platform showcasing all that the industry does to ensure the flow of clean and reliable electricity when Americans need it most.

Key facts:

• Reliable supplies of electricity are critical to the industries that drive the American economy.
• Even with projected gains in energy efficiency, the Energy Information Administration forecasts a 16% rise in electricity demand by 2035.
• One uranium fuel pellet creates as much energy as one ton of coal or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas.
• “A tiny data center uses more electricity than lighting a 100,000 sq-ft shopping mall,” Mark Mills, founder & CEO, Digital Power Group