In what state was the first nuclear reactor built?

MonkeyOnALeash

"In this ordinary-looking photograph taken in Idaho in December 1951, the reader is witnessing a technological breakthrough that will change history. The light bulbs are quite ordinary but they rely on the Experimental Breeder Reactor-1 for their source of power." http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/nuc_reactors/4bulbs.jpg http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/nuc_reactors/superla.html http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/nuc_reactors/reactsum2.html http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/nuc_reactors/reactsum.html "On June 27, 1954, the World's first nuclear power plant generated electricity but no headlines...The Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant." Dec 13 07, 6:05 AM

campcook

Chicago, Illinois http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Pile-1 Dec 13 07, 10:24 AM

McGruff

Brief history of 'firsts' in nuclear energy in the United States: On 2 December 1942 researchers under the leadership of Enrico Fermi managed to maintain the first controlled nuclear chain reaction in an experimental device called Chicago Pile 1. This was a very huge composite of uranium and graphite. The reaction was maintained for 28 minutes. In December 1951 the first four electric bulbs were illuminated by electricity which was produced by the nuclear reactor EBR-1 in Idaho Falls in the United States. This was the first experimental breeder reactor. On 17 July 1955 the experimental boiling reactor BORAX-III produced for the first time enough electricity to illuminate the city of Arco in Idaho, United States. In 1956 the first commercial nuclear power plant, Shippingport in the USA was started. The second one, Yankee-Rowe was built in 1960 in Massachusetts. They both used pressurized water reactors and were constructed by Westinghouse. In 1960 the General Electric company started the first commecial boiling water nuclear power plant, Dresden near Chicago in the United States of America. http://www.icjt.org/an/tech/zgod/zgod.htm The first nuclear power plant built in the United States, Dresden 1 was activated in 1960. The three Dresden units are General Electric boiling water reactors. It is located on a 953 acre (3.9 km²) site in Grundy County, Illinois, near Morris, Illinois. It serves Chicago and the northern quarter of the State of Illinois. Dresden 1 was retired in 1978. http://www.gearthhacks.com/downloads/related.php?file=25831 Dec 13 07, 2:10 PM