Stone to Silicon

Energy · 1951

First nuclear electricity

An Idaho breeder reactor lights four bulbs with atomic power.

Experimental Breeder Reactor I generated the first electricity from nuclear energy on 20 December 1951, and later proved a reactor could breed more fuel than it burned. It launched both nuclear power and fast-breeder research.

See it in the living treeWikipedia

Arcs above join it to what it stood on, arcs below to what it led to. The bar places this stretch on the tree's whole timeline.

What it built on 1

What it led to 1

Related measurements

The dashed line marks when it first worked.

Nuclear electricity generation Latest: 2.81k TWh (2025) Source: Our World in Data

Share of electricity from low-carbon sources Latest: 42.6 % (2025) Source: Our World in Data