You’re not wrong. We have shut down a few. Since 2010, about a dozen reactors have permanently been retired. Some were too old and expensive to fix, like a car that costs more in repairs than it’s worth. Others couldn’t compete with cheap natural gas and solar panels. The king of closures? The Indian Point plant in New York, which shut down in 2026 after 60 years of service. It’s now a very expensive, very radioactive paperweight.
Map of All Nuclear Reactors In USA
But here’s the twist: two brand-new reactors just came online in Georgia in 2026 and 2026. That’s right—after decades of nobody building new nuclear plants, the Vogtle site in Waynesboro, Georgia, fired up two shiny new reactors. They were seven years late and billions over budget, which is basically nuclear’s signature move, but hey—they work. They’re the last new reactors built from scratch in the U.S., and they cost about $35 billion total. That’s more than the GDP of a small country, but they don’t emit a single puff of carbon dioxide.
The “What About Accidents?” Elephant in the Room
I know you’re thinking about it. Three Mile Island. Fukushima. Chernobyl. The scary words that make your stomach drop. But here’s the weird truth: the U.S. has had zero nuclear fatalities from commercial power plants in history. Not one death. You’re more likely to die being struck by lightning while walking a golden retriever than from a nuclear plant meltdown in the U.S. That’s not a joke—it’s a statistic.
Still, it’s like having a pet tiger. Most of the time it’s sleepy and purring, but you never forget it could eat your face. So we have a federal agency—the Nuclear Regulatory Commission—whose entire job is to make sure the tiger stays asleep. They do a good job, but they’re also the reason your coffee mug costs more (thanks, regulations).
Nuclear Power Plants Locations In The Us | Explora Madeira
