Vallecitos
SAFSTORPleasanton, CA·BWR
Reactor Data
Reactor Units
Every power reactor at this site as listed in the IAEA Power Reactor Information System (PRIS): reactor type and model, net electrical capacity, grid connection and commercial operation dates, and current status.
1 unit: 1 permanent shutdown.
| Unit | Type | Model | Net MWe | Construction | Grid | Commercial Op | Shutdown | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vallecitos | BWR | 25 | 24 | 1956-01-01 | 1957-10-19 | 1957-10-19 | 1963-12-09 | Permanent Shutdown |
Capacity, milestones and suppliers
| Unit | Design MWe | Gross MWe | Thermal MWt | First Criticality | Reactor Supplier | Turbine Supplier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vallecitos | 24 | 24 | 50 | 1957-08-03 | GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. | GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. |
Operator: General Electric
Owner: General Electric and Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Source: IAEA Power Reactor Information System (PRIS), as of 2026-10-19.
Research Reactors
Research and test reactors, critical assemblies and prototypes at this site, as listed in the IAEA Research Reactor Database: type, thermal power, first criticality, shutdown date, current status and what each is used for.
4 reactors: 1 operational, 1 decommissioned, 1 permanent shutdown, 1 under decommissioning.
| Reactor | Type | Thermal Power | First Criticality | Shutdown | Status | Used For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NTR General Electric | Graphite | 1 kWt | 1957-11-15 | Operational | neutron radiography, activation analysis, training | |
| Mixed Spectrum Superheat Crit Assembly | Crit Assembly | 1 Wt | 1957-01-01 | Decommissioned | materials testing | |
| GETR General Electric Test Reactor | Tank | 50 MWt | 1958-12-01 | 1985-06-30 | Permanent shutdown | materials testing |
| EVESR Superheat Reactor | Bwr-prototype | 17 MWt | 1963-07-01 | Under decommissioning | materials testing |
Source: IAEA Research Reactor Database (RRDB), as of 2026-10-13.
Fuel Cycle Facilities
Fuel cycle plants at this site, as listed in the IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Database: what each plant does, its scale and design capacity, the years it operated, its current status and who operates it.
1 facility: 1 decommissioned.
| Facility | Type | Scale | Design Capacity | Operated | Status | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Fuel Laboratory | MOX fuel fabrication (Mox Powder, Pellet, Pin, FA) | Laboratory | 0 t HM/year | 1962–1979 | Decommissioned |
Source: IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Database (NFCFDB), as of 2026-10-13.
Working Here
Jobs in CA 3 active
Active nuclear industry job listings in CA from the NukeWorker job board. Click a job title for full details, or click the header to search all jobs in this state.
Per Diem Rates FY 2027
Per diem covers lodging and meals & incidental expenses (M&IE) for government and contractor travel near this facility. Rates are from GSA for FY 2027.
$152
Lodging/Night
$92
M&IE/Day
$244
Total/Day
Oakland, Alameda County, CA
Unemployment Benefits CA
Maximum state unemployment insurance benefits for CA. Actual benefits depend on your earnings history and may be lower than the maximum. Data as of Jan 2026.
$450
Max Weekly
26
Max Weeks
$11,700
Max Total
7-day waiting period before benefits begin
Photos
Photos of this facility from the NukeWorker photo gallery. Click the header or any photo to browse the full album.
![First of a breed: The Vallecitos boiling water reactor in Pleasanton, Calif., became the first nuclear generating station to be privately owned.](https://www.nukeworker.com/pictures/albums/userpics/12116/thumb_35.jpg "First of a breed: The Vallecitos boiling water reactor in Pleasanton, Calif., became the first nuclear generating station to be privately owned.
The same technology was adapted to produce electricity. That endeavor, too, was landmarked by ASME. The Vallecitos boiling water reactor in Pleasanton, Calif., the first privately owned, nuclear-fueled generating station to contribute electricity to the grid, went online in 1957 and operated until 1963. In 1958, the Shippingport Nuclear Power Station in Pennsylvania became, according to ASME, "the first commercial central electric-generating station in the United States to use nuclear energy."
Keywords: Vallecitos boiling water reactor in Pleasanton, Calif
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Facility Map
Interactive satellite map showing the facility's geographic location. Marker color indicates current status: green for online, red for offline, orange for reduced power. Click the header to open in Google Maps satellite view.
37.6082, -121.844
Location & Contact
Physical address, phone number, and website for this facility. Use the directions link to get driving directions via Google Maps.
Plant Facts
About This Site
Written by NukeWorker from public records: facts that do not change. Operator, status and capacity come from the live data elsewhere on this page. Sources: Wikipedia: Vallecitos Nuclear Center.
The Vallecitos Nuclear Center is a General Electric nuclear site in unincorporated Alameda County, California, about 30 miles east of San Francisco, near Pleasanton.
Read more
It was developed as a collaboration between General Electric and Pacific Gas and Electric, with Bechtel as engineering contractor. The Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor operated from October 1957 to December 1963, generating about 40,000 megawatt-hours of electricity for the utility grid, and served as a pilot plant and test bed for the Dresden plant in Illinois. A 100-kilowatt Nuclear Test Reactor was also built on the site. The center's most productive reactors were closed in 1977 after an active fault was discovered.