Maximum dependable capacity (gross)
The maximum amount of electricity that the main generating unit of a nuclear power reactor can reliably produce during the summer or winter (usually summer, but whichever represents the most restrictive seasonal conditions, with the least electrical output). The dependable capacity varies during the year because temperature variations in cooling water affect the unit's efficiency. Thus, this is the gross electrical output as measured (in watts unless otherwise noted) at the output terminals of the turbine generator.
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Tuesday, March 09, 2021