Energy Shift
Visualizing Nuclear Power Production by Country
Nuclear Power Production by Country
Nearly 450 reactors around the world supply various nations with nuclear power, combining for about 10% of the world’s electricity, or about 4% of the global energy mix.
But while some countries are turning to nuclear as a clean energy source, nuclear energy generation overall has seen a slowdown since its peak in the 1990s.
The above infographic breaks down nuclear electricity generation by country in 2020 using data from the Power Reactor Information System (PRIS).
Ranked: The Top 15 Countries for Nuclear Power
Just 15 countries account for more than 91% of global nuclear power production. Here’s how much energy these countries produced in 2020:
| Rank | Country | Number of Operating Reactors | Nuclear Electricity Supplied [GWh] | % share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | U.S. 🇺🇸 | 96 | 789,919 | 30.9% |
| #2 | China 🇨🇳 | 50 | 344,748 | 13.5% |
| #3 | France 🇫🇷 | 58 | 338,671 | 13.3% |
| #4 | Russia 🇷🇺 | 39 | 201,821 | 7.9% |
| #5 | South Korea 🇰🇷 | 24 | 152,583 | 6.0% |
| #6 | Canada 🇨🇦 | 19 | 92,166 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Ukraine 🇺🇦 | 15 | 71,550 | 2.8% |
| #8 | Germany 🇩🇪 | 6 | 60,918 | 2.4% |
| #9 | Spain 🇪🇸 | 7 | 55,825 | 2.2% |
| #10 | Sweden 🇸🇪 | 7 | 47,362 | 1.9% |
| #11 | U.K. 🇬🇧 | 15 | 45,668 | 1.8% |
| #12 | Japan 🇯🇵 | 33 | 43,099 | 1.7% |
| #13 | India 🇮🇳 | 22 | 40,374 | 1.6% |
| #14 | Belgium 🇧🇪 | 7 | 32,793 | 1.3% |
| #15 | Czechia 🇨🇿 | 6 | 28,372 | 1.1% |
| Rest of the World 🌎 | 44 | 207,340 | 8.1% | |
| Total | 448 | 2,553,208 | 100.0% |
In the U.S., nuclear power produces over 50% of the country’s clean electricity. Additionally, 88 of the country’s 96 operating reactors in 2020 received approvals for a 20-year life extension.
China, the world’s second-largest nuclear power producer, is investing further in nuclear energy in a bid to achieve its climate goals. The plan, which includes building 150 new reactors by 2035, could cost as much as $440 billion.
On the other hand, European opinions on nuclear energy are mixed. Germany is the eighth-largest on the list but plans to shutter its last operating reactor in 2022 as part of its nuclear phase-out. France, meanwhile, plans to expand its nuclear capacity.
Which Countries Rely Most on Nuclear Energy?
Although total electricity generation is useful for a high-level global comparison, it’s important to remember that there are some smaller countries not featured above where nuclear is still an important part of the electricity mix.
Here’s a breakdown based on the share of nuclear energy in a country’s electricity mix:
| Rank | Country | Nuclear Share of Electricity Mix |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | France 🇫🇷 | 70.6% |
| #2 | Slovakia 🇸🇰 | 53.1% |
| #3 | Ukraine 🇺🇦 | 51.2% |
| #4 | Hungary 🇭🇺 | 48.0% |
| #5 | Bulgaria 🇧🇬 | 40.8% |
| #6 | Belgium 🇧🇪 | 39.1% |
| #7 | Slovenia 🇸🇮 | 37.8% |
| #8 | Czechia 🇨🇿 | 37.3% |
| #9 | Armenia 🇦🇲 | 34.5% |
| #10 | Finland 🇫🇮 | 33.9% |
| #11 | Switzerland 🇨🇭 | 32.9% |
| #12 | Sweden 🇸🇪 | 29.8% |
| #13 | South Korea 🇰🇷 | 29.6% |
| #14 | Spain 🇪🇸 | 22.2% |
| #15 | Russia 🇷🇺 | 20.6% |
| #16 | Romania 🇷🇴 | 19.9% |
| #17 | United States 🇺🇸 | 19.7% |
| #18 | Canada 🇨🇦 | 14.6% |
| #19 | United Kingdom 🇬🇧 | 14.5% |
| #20 | Germany 🇩🇪 | 11.3% |
European countries dominate the leaderboard with 14 of the top 15 spots, including France, where nuclear power is the country’s largest source of electricity.
It’s interesting to note that only a few of these countries are top producers of nuclear in absolute terms. For example, in Slovakia, nuclear makes up 53.6% of the electricity mix—however, the country’s four reactors make up less than 1% of total global operating capacity.
On the flipside, the U.S. ranks 17th by share of nuclear power in its mix, despite producing 31% of global nuclear electricity in 2020. This discrepancy is largely due to size and population. European countries are much smaller and produce less electricity overall than larger countries like the U.S. and China.
The Future of Nuclear Power
The nuclear power landscape is constantly changing.
There were over 50 additional nuclear reactors under construction in 2020, and hundreds more are planned primarily in Asia.
As countries turn away from fossil fuels and embrace carbon-free energy sources, nuclear energy might see a resurgence in the global energy mix despite the phase-outs planned in several countries around he globe.
Energy Shift
Mapped: Renewable Energy and Battery Installations in the U.S. in 2023
This graphic describes new U.S. renewable energy installations by state along with nameplate capacity, planned to come online in 2023.
Renewable and Battery Installations in the U.S. in 2023
Renewable energy, in particular solar power, is set to shine in 2023. This year, the U.S. plans to get over 80% of its new energy installations from sources like battery, solar, and wind.
The above map uses data from EIA to highlight planned U.S. renewable energy and battery storage installations by state for 2023.
Texas and California Leading in Renewable Energy
Nearly every state in the U.S. has plans to produce new clean energy in 2023, but it’s not a surprise to see the two most populous states in the lead of the pack.
Even though the majority of its power comes from natural gas, Texas currently leads the U.S. in planned renewable energy installations. The state also has plans to power nearly 900,000 homes using new wind energy.
California is second, which could be partially attributable to the passing of Title 24, an energy code that makes it compulsory for new buildings to have the equipment necessary to allow the easy installation of solar panels, battery storage, and EV charging.
New solar power in the U.S. isn’t just coming from places like Texas and California. In 2023, Ohio will add 1,917 MW of new nameplate solar capacity, with Nevada and Colorado not far behind.
| Top 10 States | Battery (MW) | Solar (MW) | Wind (MW) | Total (MW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,981 | 6,462 | 1,941 | 10,385 |
| California | 4,555 | 4,293 | 123 | 8,970 |
| Nevada | 678 | 1,596 | 0 | 2,274 |
| Ohio | 12 | 1,917 | 5 | 1,934 |
| Colorado | 230 | 1,187 | 200 | 1,617 |
| New York | 58 | 509 | 559 | 1,125 |
| Wisconsin | 4 | 939 | 92 | 1,034 |
| Florida | 3 | 978 | 0 | 980 |
| Kansas | 0 | 0 | 843 | 843 |
| Illinois | 0 | 363 | 477 | 840 |
The state of New York is also looking to become one of the nation’s leading renewable energy providers. The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) is making real strides towards this objective with 11% of the nation’s new wind power projects expected to come online in 2023.
According to the data, New Hampshire is the only state in the U.S. that has no new utility-scale renewable energy installations planned for 2023. However, the state does have plans for a massive hydroelectric plant that should come online in 2024.
Decarbonizing Energy
Renewable energy is considered essential to reduce global warming and CO2 emissions.
In line with the efforts by each state to build new renewable installations, the Biden administration has set a goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The EIA forecasts the share of U.S. electricity generation from renewable sources rising from 22% in 2022 to 23% in 2023 and to 26% in 2024.
Electrification
Where are Clean Energy Technologies Manufactured?
As the market for low-emission solutions expands, China dominates the production of clean energy technologies and their components.
Visualizing Where Clean Energy Technologies Are Manufactured
When looking at where clean energy technologies and their components are made, one thing is very clear: China dominates the industry.
The country, along with the rest of the Asia Pacific region, accounts for approximately 75% of global manufacturing capacity across seven clean energy technologies.
Based on the IEA’s 2023 Energy Technology Perspectives report, the visualization above breaks down global manufacturing capacity by region for mass-manufactured clean energy technologies, including onshore and offshore wind, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, electric vehicles (EVs), fuel cell trucks, heat pumps, and electrolyzers.
The State of Global Manufacturing Capacity
Manufacturing capacity refers to the maximum amount of goods or products a facility can produce within a specific period. It is determined by several factors, including:
- The size of the manufacturing facility
- The number of machines or production lines available
- The skill level of the workforce
- The availability of raw materials
According to the IEA, the global manufacturing capacity for clean energy technologies may periodically exceed short-term production needs. Currently this is true especially for EV batteries, fuel cell trucks, and electrolyzers. For example, while only 900 fuel cell trucks were sold globally in 2021, the aggregate self-reported capacity by manufacturers was 14,000 trucks.
With that said, there still needs to be a significant increase in manufacturing capacity in the coming decades if demand aligns with the IEA’s 2050 net-zero emissions scenario. Such developments require investments in new equipment and technology, developing the clean energy workforce, access to raw and refined materials, and optimizing production processes to improve efficiency.
What Gives China the Advantage?
Of the above clean energy technologies and their components, China averages 65% of global manufacturing capacity. For certain components, like solar PV wafers, this percentage is as high as 96%.
Here’s a breakdown of China’s manufacturing capacity per clean energy technology.
| Technology | China’s share of global manufacturing capacity, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Wind (Offshore) | 70% |
| Wind (Onshore) | 59% |
| Solar PV Systems | 85% |
| Electric Vehicles | 71% |
| Fuel Cell Trucks | 47% |
| Heat Pumps | 39% |
| Electrolyzers | 41% |
So, what gives China this advantage in the clean energy technology sector? According to the IEA report, the answer lies in a combination of factors:
- Low manufacturing costs
- A dominance in clean energy metal processing, namely cobalt, lithium, and rare earth metals
- Sustained policy support and investment
The mixture of these factors has allowed China to capture a significant share of the global market for clean technologies while driving down the cost of clean energy worldwide.
As the market for low-emission solutions expands, China’s dominance in the sector will likely continue in the coming years and have notable implications for the global energy and emission landscape.
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