“In 1999, nuclear power generation was a record 728 billion kWh, or about 19.8% of U.S. electricity generation, second only to coal in the U.S. electricity generation mix, and up from 18.6% in 1998. Nuclear power's share of U.S. utility electric generating capacity in 1999 was highest in the New England region (59% of utility generation), followed by the Middle Atlantic (46%), the South Atlantic (28%), the East North Central (23%), the East South Central (21%), the West North Central (17%), the Pacific (16%), the West South Central (14%), and the Mountain region (10%). Seven nuclear units that had been out of service for an extended period were restarted during 1998. The units were Salem 1 in New Jersey, Quad Cities 1 and 2 and LaSalle 1 in Illinois, Millstone 3 in Connecticut, and Beaver Valley 1 and 2 in Pennsylvania. In addition, the average capacity factor for all nuclear units increased from 78% in 1998 to 88.7% in 1999, and many individual units achieved a 90% or higher efficiency.

Nuclear power in the United States grew rapidly after 1973, when only 83 billion kWh of nuclear power was produced. By 1996, nuclear power had grown more than 8-fold, with 110 nuclear power units generating a record 675 billion kWh of electricity. This rapid growth in nuclear power generation, however, obscures serious underlying problems in the U.S. nuclear industry. After 1974, many planned units were canceled, and since 1977, there have been no orders for any new nuclear units, and none are currently planned. The 1979 Three Mile Island accident greatly increased concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants in the United States. The regulatory reaction to those concerns contributed to the decline in the number of planned nuclear units. In late March 2000, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), in a positive signal to the U.S. nuclear power industry, granted the first-ever renewal of a nuclear power plant's operating license. The 20-year extension (until 2034 and 2036 for two reactors) went to the 1,700-MW Calvert Cliffs plant in Maryland.

The long-term (through 2020) nuclear power outlook in the United States is for nuclear capacity to decline sharply, with no new nuclear units expected to come on-line during the forecast timeframe. By 2020, around half of current U.S. nuclear power capacity is expected to be taken out of service, reducing the share of nuclear power in the U.S. electric generating mix to only 7% (from 18% at present). Several reasons for this projected decline in nuclear power in the United States are: 1) nuclear generation is more capital intensive, with longer lead-times for licensing and construction, than fossil-fueled generation; 2) this, along with other factors, leads to higher financing costs, placing nuclear power at a severe cost disadvantage to fossil-fuel plants; 3) safety and nuclear waste disposal are also a serious issue; 4) decontamination and decommissioning also are problematic issues for the nuclear industry; and 5) natural gas- and oil-fired plants are expected to be more economical than nuclear.

A 1982 law required the DOE to dispose of spent fuel as of January 31, 1998; however, feasibility studies have yet to be completed for an underground site in Nevada's Yucca Mountain, located 100 miles north of Las Vegas. DOE had argued that the 1998 deadline was contingent upon completion of an acceptable storage facility. Meanwhile, Congress in February and March passed legislation which would establish an interim waste storage facility (by 2007) at Yucca Mountain pending agreement on a permanent repository. On April 25, President Clinton vetoed the bill. Yucca Mountain is not expected to be ready to accept nuclear waste shipments before 2010 (and possibly 2020), 12-22 years behind the schedule set by Congress. Meanwhile, nuclear utilities are complaining that they are running out of nuclear waste storage capacity at their nuclear plants, with many being forced to resort to "dry cask" storage of spent fuel assemblies after water-storage pools reached capacity. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson has estimated that DOE's liability in failing to meet the 1998 deadline for taking nuclear waste from utilities at around $500 million-$1.5 billion. The Nuclear Energy Institute has estimated DOE's long-term, industry-wide liability at greater than $50 billion.”
(from the Energy Information Administration)

Let’s take a look at Natural Gas.