Explore Each Decade
The 1950s
Dawn of commercial nuclear power
+11
Started
0
Shutdown
Net change+11
Peak: 1959 (5 reactors)
The 1960s
First wave of nuclear expansion
+68
Started
-8
Shutdown
Net change+60
Peak: 1969 (12 reactors)
The 1970s
Oil crisis drives nuclear growth
+159
Started
-17
Shutdown
Net change+142
Peak: 1975 (23 reactors)
The 1980s
Peak EraPeak construction era
+228
Started
-28
Shutdown
Net change+200
Peak: 1985 (41 reactors)
The 1990s
Post-Chernobyl slowdown
+53
Started
-38
Shutdown
Net change+15
Peak: 1993 (10 reactors)
The 2000s
Nuclear renaissance begins
+38
Started
-35
Shutdown
Net change+3
Peak: 2002 (9 reactors)
The 2010s
Post-Fukushima reassessment
+61
Started
-60
Shutdown
Net change+1
Peak: 2016 (12 reactors)
The 2020s
Climate-driven revival
+21
Started
-26
Shutdown
Net change-5
Peak: 2021 (7 reactors)
Key Events in Nuclear History
Milestone
1954
First commercial nuclear power plant
Obninsk, USSR
Milestone
1956
Calder Hall opens - first grid-connected plant
UK
Policy
1973
Oil crisis accelerates nuclear expansion
Global
Incident
1979
Three Mile Island accident
USA
Incident
1986
Chernobyl disaster
USSR
Incident
2011
Fukushima Daiichi accident
Japan
Policy
2020
Nuclear included in net-zero plans
Global
639
Total Commissioned
228
Peak Decade (1980s)
70+
Years of Nuclear Power
30+
Countries
Data source: IAEA PRIS database • Updated regularly