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Crystal River nuclear power plant

Nuclear power plant in Florida, United States of America. Approximate location 28.9578, -82.6983.

NuclearFloridaUnited States of AmericaB&W LLP (DRYAMB)pressurized water reactor

Crystal River nuclear power plant is a 1,787 MW nuclear power station in Florida, United States of America. It is operated by Duke Energy Corp [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 4.0 million homes (estimated). It ranks #280 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1977, it is around 49 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, nuclear supplies about 17.4% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

1,787MW installed capacity
9construction time (1968→1977)
4,025,345homes powered (est.)
1977commissioned (~49 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_nuc_crystalriver_unite.

Data status

Known data

FacilityCrystal River nuclear power plant GEM-nuclear
CountryUnited States of America · Florida GEM-nuclear
Coordinates28.9578, -82.6983 GEM-nuclear
FuelNuclear GEM-nuclear
MW installed capacity1,787 MW GEM GNPT; source record
OwnerDuke Energy Corp [100%] GEM-nuclear
Commissioned1977 GEM-nuclear
Technologypressurized water reactor GEM-nuclear

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#280 / 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#125 / 230 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.93× · 1,917 MW · n=230 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent4,025,345 calculated
Climate21.3°C · HDD 305 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC5 · 48/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: GEM GNPT; fuel: GEM GNPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,787 MW, Crystal River nuclear power plant is around the median nuclear plant in United States of America (1,917 MW). Technically it is described as pressurized water reactor. Nuclear plants split uranium to raise steam with no direct CO₂; they run as steady baseload with very high capacity factors and the longest operating lifetimes of any thermal plant.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Capacity vs largest nuclear plants in United States of America

Palo Verde nuclear power plant: 6,782 MW7kPalo Verde…Comanche Peak nuclear power plant: 5,909 MW6kComanche P…Shearon Harris nuclear power plant: 5,895 MW6kShearon Ha…North Anna nuclear power plant: 5,615 MW6kNorth Anna…South Texas nuclear power plant: 5,416 MW5kSouth Texa…Alvin W Vogtle nuclear power plant: 4,958 MW5kAlvin W Vo…Hartsville nuclear power plant: 4,876 MW5kHartsville…Bellefonte nuclear power plant: 4,746 MW5kBellefonte…

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Duke Energy Corp [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This nuclear plant uses heat from nuclear fission to raise steam for a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 29.0°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

21.3°Cannual mean temp
305heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,504cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
16 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 14 °CJF: 15 °CFM: 18 °CMA: 20 °CAM: 24 °CMJ: 27 °CJJ: 27 °CJA: 27 °CAS: 26 °CSO: 23 °CON: 18 °CND: 15 °CD27 °C

Heating degree-days here run 88% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 18/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C5ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
48/100environmental-severity index
13.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
24 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #125 largest nuclear power plant of 230 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 230 nuclear power plants in this dataset, together about 427,888 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 28.9578, -82.6983 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Crystal River nuclear power plant?

Crystal River nuclear power plant is a 1,787 MW nuclear power plant in Florida, United States of America, commissioned in 1977.

How many homes can Crystal River nuclear power plant power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 4,025,345 homes (estimated).

Who operates Crystal River nuclear power plant?

Crystal River nuclear power plant is operated by Duke Energy Corp [100%].

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