The Shippingport Atomic Power Station in western Pennsylvania became the first commercial nuclear power plant in the United States when it came online in 1958. Since then, nuclear energy has become an integral part of the national power grid. Today, there are 55 commercial nuclear power plants nationwide, and for the last four decades, nuclear reactors have accounted for about 20% of U.S. energy production annually.
Of course, nuclear power plants have limited lifespans. The Shippingport Atomic Powers Station, for example, was shut down in 1982 amid safety concerns. Currently, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC, licenses plants to operate a nuclear reactor for 40 years, afterwhich, plants must apply to extend their license in 20 year increments.
Though the oldest commercial nuclear plant in the United States is long since closed, there are dozens of active plants that have been in operation for decades. (These are the states with the most nuclear power plants.)
Using data from the NRC, 24/7 Wall St. identified the oldest nuclear power plants in the United States. Plants are ranked by the date their oldest active nuclear reactor went online.
It is important to note that nuclear power plants generate electricity often through multiple nuclear reactors that went online at different times. For the purposes of this story, only the oldest active reactor at each plant was considered. (Also see, U.S. wind farms generating the most electricity.)
Partially because of the hazardous nature of nuclear waste, fully decommissioning a nuclear reactor can be a decades-long process. Some of the plants on this list, including the Millstone Power Station in Waterford, Connecticut, and the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Delta, Pennsylvania, have reactors that are older than the date noted. These reactors, however, are no longer active and are in the process of being decommissioned.
Click here to see America’s oldest nuclear power plants
Click here to read our detailed methodology
28. Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station
> Start of commercial operations: 7/31/1978
> Electricity production capacity: 894 megawatts
> Location: Oak Harbor, OH (21 mi. ESE of Toledo, OH)
> Operator: Energy Harbor Nuclear Generation LLC and Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp.
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27. North Anna Power Station
> Start of commercial operations: 6/6/1978
> Electricity production capacity: 1,892 megawatts
> Location: Mineral, VA (40 mi. NW of Richmond, VA)
> Operator: Virginia Electric & Power Co.
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26. Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 12/1/1977
> Electricity production capacity: 1,751 megawatts
> Location: Columbia, AL (18 mi. E of Dothan, AL)
> Operator: Southern Nuclear Operating Co.
25. Salem Nuclear Generating Station
> Start of commercial operations: 6/30/1977
> Electricity production capacity: 2,295 megawatts
> Location: Hancocks Bridge, NJ (18 mi. SE of Wilmington, DE)
> Operator: PSEG Nuclear, LLC
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24. Brunswick Steam Electric Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 3/18/1977
> Electricity production capacity: 1,870 megawatts
> Location: Southport, NC (20 mi. S of Wilmington, NC)
> Operator: Duke Energy Progress, LLC
23. St. Lucie Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 12/21/1976
> Electricity production capacity: 1,968 megawatts
> Location: Jensen Beach, FL (10 mi. SE of Ft. Pierce, FL)
> Operator: Florida Power & Light Co.
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22. Beaver Valley Power Station
> Start of commercial operations: 10/1/1976
> Electricity production capacity: 1,808 megawatts
> Location: Shippingport, PA(17 mi. W of McCandless, PA)
> Operator: Energy Harbor Nuclear Generation LLC and Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp.
21. Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 12/31/1975
> Electricity production capacity: 1,759 megawatts
> Location: Baxley , GA (20 mi. S of Vidalia, GA)
> Operator: Southern Nuclear Operating Co.
20. Millstone Power Station
> Start of commercial operations: 12/26/1975
> Electricity production capacity: 2,073 megawatts
> Location: Waterford, CT (3.2 mi. WSW of New London, CT)
> Operator: Dominion Energy Nuclear Connecticut, Inc.
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19. Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 8/28/1975
> Electricity production capacity: 2,177 megawatts
> Location: Bridgman, MI (13 mi. S of Benton Harbor, MI)
> Operator: Indiana Michigan Power Co.
18. James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 7/28/1975
> Electricity production capacity: 848 megawatts
> Location: Scriba, NY (6 mi. NE of Oswego, NY)
> Operator: Exelon Generation Co., LLC
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17. Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 5/8/1975
> Electricity production capacity: 1,708 megawatts
> Location: Lusby, MD (40 mi. S of Annapolis, MD)
> Operator: Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, LLC
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16. Arkansas Nuclear One
> Start of commercial operations: 12/19/1974
> Electricity production capacity: 1,818 megawatts
> Location: London, AR (6 mi. WNW of Russellville, AR)
> Operator: Entergy Operations, Inc.
15. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 8/1/1974
> Electricity production capacity: 3,775 megawatts
> Location: Limestone County, AL (10 mi. south of Athens, AL)
> Operator: Tennessee Valley Authority
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14. Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station
> Start of commercial operations: 7/5/1974
> Electricity production capacity: 2,550 megawatts
> Location: Delta, PA (17.9 mi. S of Lancaster, PA)
> Operator: Exelon Generation Co., LLC
13. Cooper Nuclear Station
> Start of commercial operations: 7/1/1974
> Electricity production capacity: 770 megawatts
> Location: Brownville, NE (23 mi. S of Nebraska City, NE)
> Operator: Nebraska Public Power District
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12. Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 12/16/1973
> Electricity production capacity: 1,040 megawatts
> Location: Welch, MN (28 mi. SE of Minneapolis, MN)
> Operator: Northern States Power Co. Minnesota
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11. Oconee Nuclear Station
> Start of commercial operations: 7/15/1973
> Electricity production capacity: 2,554 megawatts
> Location: Seneca, SC (30 mi. W of Greenville, SC)
> Operator: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC
10. Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station
> Start of commercial operations: 2/18/1973
> Electricity production capacity: 1,819 megawatts
> Location: Cordova, IL (20 mi. NE of Moline, IL)
> Operator: Exelon Generation Co., LLC
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9. Surry Power Station
> Start of commercial operations: 12/22/1972
> Electricity production capacity: 1,676 megawatts
> Location: Surry, VA (17 mi. NW of Newport News, VA)
> Operator: Virginia Electric & Power Co.
8. Turkey Point Nuclear Generating
> Start of commercial operations: 12/14/1972
> Electricity production capacity: 1,698 megawatts
> Location: Homestead, FL (20 mi. S of Miami, FL)
> Operator: Florida Power & Light Co.
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7. Palisades Nuclear Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 12/31/1971
> Electricity production capacity: 769 megawatts
> Location: Covert, MI (5 mi. S of South Haven, MI)
> Operator: Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
6. Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 6/30/1971
> Electricity production capacity: 617 megawatts
> Location: Monticello, MN (30 mi. NW of Minneapolis, MN)
> Operator: Northern States Power Company – Minnesota
5. H. B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 3/7/1971
> Electricity production capacity: 759 megawatts
> Location: Hartsville, SC (26 mi. NW of Florence, SC)
> Operator: Duke Energy Progress, LLC
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4. Point Beach Nuclear Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 12/21/1970
> Electricity production capacity: 1,201 megawatts
> Location: Two Rivers, WI (13 mi. NNW of Manitowoc, WI)
> Operator: NextEra Energy Point Beach, LLC
3. R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant
> Start of commercial operations: 7/1/1970
> Electricity production capacity: 581 megawatts
> Location: Ontario, NY (20 mi. NE of Rochester, NY)
> Operator: R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, LLC
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2. Dresden Nuclear Power Station
> Start of commercial operations: 6/9/1970
> Electricity production capacity: 1,797 megawatts
> Location: Morris, IL (25 mi. SW of Joliet, IL)
> Operator: Exelon Generation Co., LLC
1. Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station
> Start of commercial operations: 12/1/1969
> Electricity production capacity: 1,913 megawatts
> Location: Scriba, NY (6 mi. NE of Oswego, NY)
> Operator: Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC
Methodology
To identify the oldest nuclear power plants in the U.S., 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the start dates of commercial operation for nuclear reactors in the United States using data compiled by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Plants are ranked by the date their oldest active nuclear reactor went online.
To compare each power plant’s electricity production capacity, we summed each plant’s reactors’ megawatt electricity (MWe).
Plant names and data are as identified on the license as of August 2022. The next printed update will be in September 2022.
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