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Experimental Breeder Reactor I — first electricity generated by nuclear fission

1951 AD · Transmission: Global
EnergyEngineeringSystemNorth American

On December 20, 1951, at the Nuclear Reactor Testing Station (Idaho), electricity was first generated from the heat produced by a sustained nuclear reaction feeding a steam turbine: four 200-watt light bulbs lit up at 1:50 pm. This event inaugurated the nuclear power industry in the United States. On June 4, 1953, EBR-I provided the first proof of 'breeding' capability, producing one atom of nuclear fuel for each atom consumed.

InstitutionArgonne National Laboratory
Historical regionIdaho, U.S.A.
Primary sourceGeneration of electricity at EBR-I, Nuclear Reactor Testing Station, Idaho, December 20, 1951.
Secondary sourceIEEE Engineering and Technology History Wiki — "Milestones: Experimental Breeder Reactor I, 1951"; ASME — "Experimental Breeder Reactor I" (ASME Landmark)
Original languageen
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