At a time when climate change, sustainability and energy security dominate the news, the electrical generation industry is working hard to develop cost-effective, low-carbon energy sources that will aid meaningfully in meeting demand growth while significantly improving U.S. fuel diversity and energy security. Rather than relying on a single fuel source or technology, an integrated approach involving many technologies will need to be employed to best meet the country’s energy needs while protecting and preserving the environment.

As President Obama’s New Energy for America plan highlights, nuclear energy must be an integral part of this mix in order to meet our aggressive climate goals. Nuclear is baseload power that is well-suited to meet increasing U.S. demand for electricity with zero emissions, a small physical footprint and low cost production.

Availability & Reliability
Nuclear power is one of the most reliable and practical sources of electricity available today. It averages a capacity factor of greater than 90 percent, meaning it generates near its maximum output regardless of the weather, or time of day. It is the ideal technology to satisfy increasing baseload demand.

Due to the natural variability of wind, wind turbines can only produce electricity intermittently, giving wind farms a capacity factor between 20 and 40 percent. Similarly, photovoltaic solar panels are subject to cloud cover and are, of course, unable to produce electricity at night. Accordingly, the capacity factor for solar power ranges from 15 to 30 percent.

While large amounts of wind and solar capacity could eventually match the output of nuclear, they still cannot provide around-the-clock electrical production. This increases the likelihood of relying on more expensive, emission-intensive gas or coal plants to meet baseload requirements.