U.S. Nuclear Power Plants Achieved Near-Record
Level of Electricity Production in 2008
WASHINGTON, Feb 03, 2009 -- BUSINESS WIRE
U.S. nuclear power plants last year continued their decade-long trend of
reliable electricity generation, eclipsing all other electricity sources
with an industry-average capacity factor of more than 90 percent, according
to preliminary data on 2008 operations.
Nuclear power plants generated approximately 805.7 billion kilowatt-hours (kwh)
of electricity last year, a mere one-tenth of one percent less than the
record 806.5 billion kwh generated in 2007.
Sixteen of the nation's 104 reactors achieved capacity factors greater than
100 percent in 2008. The industry-average capacity factor was 91.1 percent,
just shy of 2007's record of 91.8 percent, according to preliminary figures.
"As Congress and the new administration debate economic stimulus legislation
and set their sights on measures to aggressively mitigate carbon emissions,
the continued outstanding performance of nuclear power plants ought to
remind policymakers of nuclear energy's unique ability to reliably provide
bulk power without emitting carbon and other greenhouse gases," said Marvin
Fertel, acting president and chief executive officer of the Nuclear Energy
Institute.
"The struggling U.S. economy is receiving a tremendous boost in the form of
thousands of new jobs associated with the new era of nuclear plant
construction that is dawning," Fertel said.
Capacity factor, a measure of availability, is the ratio of electricity
produced in a given time period to the maximum that could be produced in
that period at full rated power. The rated power level is determined by
summer conditions when plant cooling systems are least efficient. In cold
weather, many steam-driven power plants can produce more electricity than
their summer rating and, as a result, their capacity factor can top 100
percent.
Average capacity factors for coal-fired power plants are about 70 percent;
40 percent for natural gas-fired power plants; and 30 percent for wind power
projects.
Among numerous companies achieving operational excellence in 2008 was Exelon
Corp., which announced last month that its 17 reactors posted an average
capacity factor of 93.9 percent. It was the sixth consecutive year that
Exelon's nuclear plants recorded an average capacity factor exceeding 93
percent.
Pennsylvania-based PPL Corp. announced an electricity generation record at
its Susquehanna power plant. Two reactors at the station generated more than
19 billion kwh of electricity in 2008, surpassing Susquehanna's previous
record by more than four percent.
Progress Energy's five reactors in the Carolinas and Florida generated more
than 35.1 billion kwh last year, surpassing the prior record set in 2003.
Nuclear energy supplies electricity to one of every five homes and
businesses. About one-third of U.S. electricity production is generated by
carbon-free sources, and nuclear energy supplies more than 70 percent of
that clean electricity.
Ten reactors last year received approval from the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission to implement a combined 726 megawatts of power "uprates,"
technical enhancements and modifications that increase the amount of
electricity an existing power plant can generate.
When one considers the difference in capacity factors of the respective
technologies, the 726 megawatts of nuclear plant uprates will produce as
much electricity as nearly 2,000 megawatts of wind turbines. This equals
almost one-fourth of the record level of wind capacity installed last year.
In 2008, the nuclear industry submitted to the NRC 13 new plant license
applications for 19 reactors totaling almost 27,000 megawatts of potential
new capacity.
The Nuclear Energy Institute is the nuclear energy industry's policy
organization. This news release and additional information about nuclear
energy are available at http://www.nei.org.
Contact NEI's media relations staff at 202/739-8000 during business hours or
703/644-8805 after hours and weekends.
SOURCE: Nuclear Energy Institute
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