There is only one commercial nuclear reactor in Missouri. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Callaway unit 1 is a light water pressurized reactor (PWR).

Permanently Shutdown Commercial Reactors: Not applicable.

Nuclear Research and Test Reactors Regulated by NRC: The University of Missouri has a Pool reactor (power level 200 kilowatts) at its Rolla campus and a Tank reactor (power level 10,000 kilowatts) at its Columbia campus. The unit at Rolla was licensed on November 21, 1961. The Columbia reactor was licensed on October 11, 1966.

Nuclear Power Generation in Missouri, 1985 through 2005 Million kilowatthours

Sources: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-906, Power Plant Report, and predecessor forms

Nuclear Generation

Electricity generation by nuclear power plants is available for each reactor and each State for each of the following years:

• 2002
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005

Contribution of Nuclear Power

In 2008, the State of Missouri ranked 26th in nuclear capacity and 25th in nuclear generation. Monthly and cumulative nuclear generation and annual nuclear capacity for each State and each reactor is reported in a table elsewhere on this site.

In 2007, coal accounted for slightly more than 80 percent of the electricity generated by the State. The percentage of electricity generated by coal, gas, nuclear, and hydropower for each state with at least one commercial reactor is reported in the Electricity Market table.

The Callaway Nuclear Plant is one of 30 single-unit nuclear plants located in the United States. In the late twentieth century, many analysts viewed single-unit plants as potentially vulnerable to permanent shutdowns for economic reasons. The closure of 9 such plants^[1] between 1987 and the end of the century seemed to confirm this view. Multi-unit plants closed, too. In fact, the greatest permanent loss of capacity by a power plant closing was at the dual-unit Zion plant in Illinois. But multi-unit plant closings were less common. The multi-unit plants had a significant advantage: if one reactor closed down for maintenance or refueling, the other(s) could continue to produce power.

The trend of single-unit plant closings appears to have ended with Michigan's Big Rock Point in 1997, and the trend towards re-licensing of existing plants (single- or multi-unit) began with the new century. On March 23, 2000, Calvert Cliffs in Maryland became the first plant to have its license extended by the NRC. The first renewal of a single-unit plant license did not come until November 10, 2003, when Nebraska's Fort Calhoun plant became the 10th applicant to be approved by the NRC. The re-licensing of single-unit plants is significant to the recovery of the nuclear industry as a whole. The Nation's 30 single-reactor plants represent one fourth of the country's total nuclear capacity. Together with the Nation's 35 multi-unit plants, they account for one fifth of the Nation's electricity output.

All reactors must eventually shut down for routine maintenance and re-fueling. With only one reactor, how does Callaway meet its obligations to its customers if the reactor shuts down for any reason?

According to Michael B. (Mike) Cleary of Ameren, "when such shutdowns occur, the electricity that Callaway would normally produce is replaced by other plants on the Ameren system, or by a combination of other Ameren plants and power purchased from other systems, depending on market conditions." As a result, customers might have to rely on electric output from non-nuclear plants during reactor shutdown.

The Energy Information Administration projects that U.S. nuclear will provide more electricity in 2006 than in any previous year. The projections are for the industry as a whole, but it seems likely that single-unit plants will have to make a significant contribution if the projections are to be fulfilled. The Nations' 30 single-reactor power plants contain 26 percent of U.S. commercial nuclear capacity.

Missouri Nuclear Highlights

• Two months before America's bicentennial in 1976, the NRC issues a construction permit for the Callaway plant. The total cost, when completed, is $3 billion.
• In 2001, Callaway sets a plant record for capacity utilization with a capacity factor of 101.1 percent (ratio of actual output to the amount of electricity that could be produced) ranking it among the World's top reactors.

License Renewal

The license for the Callaway plant does not expire until October 2024. Applications for license renewal are submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Copyright Ameren Corporation: used with permission. This pool, approximately the size of a tennis court, has enough space to safely store all the spent fuel Callaway will produce in 40 years of operation. Here, used fuel assemblies are temporarily stored after they are removed from the reactor. Although visitors are often impressed by how clean and orderly nuclear plants are, it is not necessarily a case of plant personnel being neater than other mortals. Plant personnel are accountable for tracking everything that goes into the pool or is removed, so sloppiness is not an option. To err may be human, but it can result in a heavy fine or dismissal.

More Information on Spent Fuel

Air Quality in Missouri

Total greenhouse emissions for the electric power industry of each of the 50 States and the District of Columbia, are reported for the most current data year.

Of the 50 States plus the District of Columbia, the electric industry of the State of Missouri ranked 13th highest in carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in 2007. The State's electric industry ranked 14th highest in sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions and 12th highest in nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions.

Missouri Airborne Emissions, Electricity Sector, 1990-2007 Metric Tons
Year	Carbon Dioxide CO2	Sulfur Dioxide SO2	Nitrogen Oxides NOx
1990	47,578,746	724,008	262,408
1991	48,281,315	681,277	265,582
1992	46,817,730	623,765	256,529
1993	42,425,277	441,648	232,270
1994	50,011,228	493,447	257,617
1995	56,348,250	294,968	302,888
1996	58,770,104	339,361	175,311
1997	62,008,196	292,349	184,570
1998	65,756,524	261,144	196,496
1999	65,177,364	253,555	170,411
2000	66,587,991	224,959	149,156
2001	69,572,468	234,339	136,431
2002	69,720,980	234,248	131,220
2003	75,639,708	258,290	136,025
2004	75,933,091	269,619	117,013
2005	79,829,405	273,304	115,398
2006	79,101,901	259,641	107,586
2007	77,131,256	257,770	99,659
Source: EIA-767 and EIA-906 Survey, Energy Information Administration

Missouri Airborne Emissions, Electricity Sector, 1990-2004 (CO2)*

*Carbon Dioxide

Missouri Airborne Emissions, Electricity Sector, 1990-2004 (SO2)*

*Sulfur Dioxide

Missouri Airborne Emissions, Electricity Sector, 1990-2004 (NOX)*

*Nitrogen Oxide

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^[1]In 1987, La Crosse in Wisconsin; in 1989, Rancho Seco in California (June) Shoreham in New York (June), and Fort St. Vrain in Colorado (August); in 1991, Yankee-Rowe in Massachusetts (October) and Trojan in Oregon (November); in 1996, Haddam Neck in Connecticut (December) and Maine Yankee in Maine (also, December), in 1997, Big Rock Point in Michigan (August).

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