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Annual Energy Review

September 2012  PDF | previous editions
Release Date: September 27, 2012

Table 9.1 Nuclear Generating Units, 1955-2011
Table 9.1  Nuclear Generating Units, 1955-2011




Year		 Original Licensing Regulations (10 CFR Part 50) 1 Current Licensing Regulations (10 CFR Part 52) 1


Permanent
Shutdowns



Operable Units 7
Construction
Permits
Issued 2,3		 Low-Power
Operating Licenses
Issued 3,4		 Full-Power
Operating Licenses
Issued 3,5		 Early Site
Permits
Issued 3		 Combined
License Applications
Received 6		 Combined
Licenses
Issued 3
1955 1 0 0 – – – – – – 0 0
1956 3 0 0 – – – – – – 0 0
1957 1 1 1 – – – – – – 0 1
1958 0 0 0 – – – – – – 0 1
1959 3 1 1 – – – – – – 0 2
1960 7 1 1 – – – – – – 0 3
1961 0 0 0 – – – – – – 0 3
1962 1 7 6 – – – – – – 0 9
1963 1 3 2 – – – – – – R 1 11
1964 3 2 3 – – – – – – 1 13
1965 1 0 0 – – – – – – 0 13
1966 5 1 2 – – – – – – 1 14
1967 14 3 3 – – – – – – 2 15
1968 23 0 0 – – – – – – R 1 13
1969 7 4 4 – – – – – – 0 17
1970 10 4 3 – – – – – – R 1 20
1971 4 5 2 – – – – – – 0 22
1972 8 6 6 – – – – – – R 2 27
1973 14 12 15 – – – – – – 0 42
1974 23 14 15 – – – – – – 2 55
1975 9 3 2 – – – – – – 0 57
1976 9 7 7 – – – – – – 1 63
1977 15 4 4 – – – – – – 0 67
1978 13 3 4 – – – – – – 1 70
1979 2 0 0 – – – – – – 1 69
1980 0 5 2 – – – – – – 0 71
1981 0 3 4 – – – – – – 0 75
1982 0 6 4 – – – – – – 1 78
1983 0 3 3 – – – – – – 0 81
1984 0 7 6 – – – – – – 0 87
1985 0 7 9 – – – – – – 0 96
1986 0 7 5 – – – – – – 0 101
1987 0 6 8 – – – – – – R 1 107
1988 0 1 2 – – – – – – 0 109
1989 0 3 4 – – – – – – R 3 111
1990 0 1 2 – – – – – – R 0 112
1991 0 0 0 – – – – – – 1 111
1992 0 0 0 – – – – – – 2 109
1993 0 1 1 – – – – – – 0 110
1994 0 0 0 – – – – – – R 0 109
1995 0 1 0 – – – – – – 0 109
1996 0 0 1 – – – – – – R 3 109
1997 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 107
1998 0 0 0 0 0 0 R 1 104
1999-2006 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 104
2007 0 0 0 3 5 0 0 104
2008 0 0 0 0 R 12 0 0 104
2009 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 104
2010 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 104
2011 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 104

Total		 177 132 132 4 R 18 0 28 – –
1Data in columns 1–3 are based on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulation 10 CFR
Part 50.  Data in columns 4–6 are based on the NRC regulation 10 CFR Part 52.  See Note 1, "Pending
Actions on Nuclear Generating Units," at end of section.		 7Total of nuclear generating units holding full-power licenses, or equivalent permission to operate, at
the end of the year (the number of operable units equals the cumulative number of units holding full-power
licenses minus the cumulative number of permanent shutdowns).
2Issuance by regulatory authority of a permit, or equivalent permission, to begin construction.  Under
current licensing regulations, the construction permit is no longer issued separately from the operating
license.		 – – =Not applicable.  
3Numbers reflect permits or licenses issued in a given year, not extant permits or licenses. Note:  See Note 2, "Coverage of Nuclear Energy Statistics," at end of section.
4Issuance by regulatory authority of license, or equivalent permission, to conduct testing but not to
operate at full power.		 Web Page:  For related information, see http://www.eia.gov/nuclear/.
5Issuance by regulatory authority of full-power operating license, or equivalent permission (note that
some units receive full-power licenses the same year they receive low-power licenses).  Units initially
undergo low-power testing prior to commercial operation.		 Sources:  See end of section.
6Number of applications received for combined construction and operating licenses, including one that
was subsequently withdrawn.  Does not represent the total number of reactor units included in the
applications.  See Note 1, "Pending Actions on Nuclear Generating Units," at end of Section.		  
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