The Nuclear Power Generation industry supplies over half the United States with more than half of the country’s clean energy. Below are five facts about the Nuclear Power Generation industry in the USA from the US Office of Nuclear Energy (click here to read the original post on energy.gov).
1. NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS PRODUCED 790 BILLION KILOWATT HOURS OF ELECTRICITY IN 2019
The United States is the world’s largest producer of nuclear power. It generated 790 billion kilowatt hoursof electricity in 2020, surpassing coal in annual electricity generation for the first time ever. Commercial nuclear power plants have supplied around 20% of the nation’s electricity each year since 1990.
2. NUCLEAR POWER PROVIDES 52% OF AMERICA’S CLEAN ENERGY
Nuclear energy provided 52% of America’s carbon-free electricity in 2020, making it the largest domestic source of clean energy.
Nuclear power plants do not emit greenhouse gases while generating electricity.
They produce power by boiling water to create steam that spins a turbine. The water is heated by a process called fission, which makes heat by splitting apart uranium atoms inside a nuclear reactor core.
3. NUCLEAR ENERGY IS THE MOST RELIABLE ENERGY SOURCE IN AMERICA
Nuclear power plants operated at full capacity more than 92% of the time in 2020—making it the most reliable energy source in America. That’s about 1.5 to 2 times more reliable as natural gas (57%) and coal (40%) plants, and roughly 2.5 to 3.5 times more reliable than wind (35%) and solar (25%) plants.
Nuclear power plants are designed to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week because they require less maintenance and can operate for longer stretches before refueling (typically every 1.5 or 2 years).
4. NUCLEAR HELPS POWER 28 U.S. STATES
There are currently 94 commercial reactors helping to power homes and businesses in 28 U.S. states. Illinois has 11 reactors—the most of any state—and joins South Carolina and New Hampshire in receiving more than 50% of its power from nuclear.
5. NUCLEAR FUEL IS EXTREMELY DENSE
Because of this, the amount of used nuclear fuel is not as big as you think.
All the used nuclear fuel produced by the U.S. nuclear energy industry over the last 60 years could fit on a football field at a depth of less than 10 yards.
Source: US Office of Nuclear Energy (https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/5-fast-facts-about-nuclear-energy)
The Nuclear Power Generation industry is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world, making equipment that can meet the stringent requirements a necessity. Since the 1970s, AMETEK Solidstate Controls has been adhering to these design and development requirements to create a robust nuclear product line.
In the USA the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) oversees commercial nuclear power generation. Equipment important to plant safety, commonly referred to as 1E or Safety Related, must go through rigorous design, construction, testing and quality reviews before it can be placed into the facility. For Safety Related applications, the NRC mandates that equipment suppliers uphold robust quality control requirements, demanding performance characteristics and constant quality improvements through regular audits by the NRC and NUPIC (NUPIC is a joint utility audit process for evaluating the implementation of supplier quality assurance programs).
The Nuclear Power Generation industry requires a minimum design life of 40 years, and it must uphold robust quality, environmental aging, seismic and performance requirements. AMETEK Solidstate Controls’ Nuclear Engineering Team offers a full range of consulting services and design support to customize our equipment to your exact specifications and needs. We also ensure that our equipment complies with the latest applicable codes of the NRC Reg Guide and IEEE/IEC Standards for Nuclear Power Generation.
AMETEK Safety Related equipment includes, but is not limited to, the following items:
- 1E Digital Single-Phase Pulse Width Modulate (PWM) Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) System (NDPP UPS)
- 1E Analog Single-Phase Regulating Transformers
- 1E Analog Single and Three Phase SV Series Static Inverters
- 1E 125VDC & 250VDC BCS Series Battery Chargers
- 1E DC Power Supplies for Digital Rod Position Indicator (DRPI) and Solidstate Protection System (SSPS)
- 1E DC Power Supplies for Reactor Process Control Systems
Our dedicated Service and Support Team ensures we support your equipment throughout its 40-year design life. We offer start-up services, preventive maintenance, 24/7 emergency support, training classes and managed inventory agreements for replacement parts. We can also provide direct replacements for obsolete power equipment no longer manufactured or supported by the original suppliers.
If you’d like to learn more about our customized Nuclear Power Generation products, visit our Nuclear product pages or contact us.