U.S. Nuclear Performing Better Than Ever

The nation’s fleet of 99 nuclear reactors performed better than ever this summer. The reactors performed at 97 percent of capacity throughout the summer and same days in August it was at 100 percent. The overall performance for the year was at record levels as well. There are several reasons for this. Refueling operations, which take place at the periods of low demand in the spring and fall, have declined from three months to six weeks since 1990. Refueling takes place anywhere between every eighteen months and two years. Unplanned outages have also declined by a third, from 90 to 60, since 2000. In August, 95 or 99 reactors reported operating capacities above 90 percent and 48 of the reactors – almost half – reported 100 percent capacity. This performance level has raised nuclear’s contribution to the nation’s grid from 19 percent to 20 percent and still improving.

http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=23112