An energy analysis by the nonpartisan public policy organization Texas 2036 explains that nuclear energy continues to serve as a vital, always-on component of the Texas power grid, even as generation capacity has remained flat for the last 25 years.
According to the analysis, nationwide nuclear fission plants provide approximately 20% of total electrical generation, whereas in Texas, nuclear power consistently accounts for nearly a tenth—roughly 8%—of the daily baseload mix managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
Texas’ nuclear output relies entirely on two long-standing facilities: the South Texas Project Electric Generating Station near Bay City in Matagorda County and the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant near Glen Rose in Somervell County. Together, these two plants have consistently supplied roughly 5% of total U.S. nuclear power generation for more than a quarter-century.
This stable output mirrors a broader national trendline; despite operating the world’s largest nuclear fleet, the United States has not significantly expanded its nuclear capacity since reaching present-day production levels in the late 1980s.
According to the Texas 2036 analysis, following the Three Mile Island incident in 1979, steep construction costs and lengthy regulatory timelines prompted the cancellation of 67 planned projects across the country. Aside from Georgia’s recent multi-year expansion of the Vogtle site, which catapulted that state from seventh to fourth in production capacity, the top ten nuclear-producing states have seen no baseline capacity growth.
High upfront capital requirements and extended lead times remain significant hurdles to building traditional, large-scale facilities, but Texas lawmakers are taking active steps to spearhead a potential nuclear energy expansion.
During the 89th legislative session, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 14, establishing the Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office alongside the Texas Advanced Nuclear Development Fund. This state framework is designed to bring new projects to market faster by mitigating steep upfront capital investments and streamlining the state’s permitting process.
State leaders are increasingly looking toward technological advancements in small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors, which offer significantly smaller physical footprints, lower costs, and shortened construction timelines compared to traditional legacy reactors.
Texas 2036 says that commercial momentum is already aligning with these policy goals; out of the advanced pilot initiatives funded under the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Reactor Pilot Program,” at least three commercial-scale advanced nuclear projects are currently based in Texas.