But there’s been little celebration or even mention of this accomplishment. That’s because reductions in emissions of air pollutants and carbon dioxide have been achieved largely through increased use of natural gas for electricity generation and the greatly improved performance of the Surry and North Anna nuclear plants. Over the past decade, the Surry and North Anna plants have supplied power about 90 percent of the time, among the highest capacity factors for nuclear plants in the country, according to the Energy Information Administration. This is zero-carbon energy.

Nationally, since 1990, increased operating efficiency at existing nuclear plants has been equivalent to adding 25 new, 1,000-megawatt reactors to the nation’s electricity grid.

Virginians are healthier as a result of improvements in air quality, and nuclear-generated electricity can share the credit, while giving consumers affordable power at the same time. One statistic might joggle the mind a bit: According to the Energy Information Administration, more than 22.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually are prevented by Virginia’s Surry and North Anna nuclear plants. That equals the amount that would be released in a year by more than 5 million passenger cars, more than all the registered cars in the state.