This represents nuclear energy consumption in the United States between 1998 and 2016. The data are based on gross generation and not accounting for cross-border electricity supply. The figures were converted on the basis of thermal equivalence assuming 38 percent conversion efficiency in a modern thermal power station. The U.S. consumed about 191.8 million metric tons of oil equivalent in 2016.
The United States is still the biggest consumer of uranium, consuming 18,200 metric tons in 2016 compared to 5,300 tons in China. However, China's need for uranium is likely to increase in the future, as of the 61 reactors that are being built in 15 countries worldwide, 21 are located in the People's Republic of Chaina. In Namibia, in southeast Africa, the Chinese run Husab pit took up production in 2016, which could become the world's single biggest Uranium production facilities.
The leading consumers of uranium worldwide are the countries with the highest share of nuclear energy: the United States, France, Russia and China. The U.S. used 18.5 metric tons of uranium in 2015. That was twice as much as France, which ranked second. Although there are global tendencies towards alternative energies, projections for nuclear energy consumption show a distinct increase until 2035. That means that Uranium will continue to be the most important Future Energy for decades to come.