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Nuclear power: why US nuclear 'renaissance' fizzled and plants are closing
Four nuclear plants have closed this year and dozens are at risk of early retirement, as the industry faces low-cost competitors and renewed doubts about the wisdom of nuclear power.
By David J. Unger
20 hours ago

A funny thing happened on the way to a nuclear renaissance: For the first time in 15 years, operating nuclear plants are being forced to close, and energy companies are scuttling plans for new plants and upgrades to existing ones. In addition to four closures of nuclear plants so far this year, two other US nuclear plants are at a crossroads, and dozens more at risk of early retirement.

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It points to the thwarted promise of a nuclear industry that 10 years ago seemed on the verge of revival, until derailed by cheap energy alternatives, listless energy demand, and renewed safety and regulatory concerns, especially after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. RECOMMENDED: Top 10 states for clean tech The risk of a major event on US soil is extremely small, and the benefits of nuclears stable, carbon-free energy are too good to ignore, nuclear advocates say. And energy markets aren't set in stone: If natural-gas prices were to rise, nuclear would be a more economic option. But both public opinion and market forces are working against the renaissance that industry backers have been predicting. This week, a former chair of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission called for shutting down the Indian Point nuclear power plant near New York City and the Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth, Mass., citing safety concerns. Severe accidents have happened and they will happen, said former NRC chair Gregory Jaczko, at a panel discussion in Boston sponsored by the Samuel Lawrence Foundation, a California-based advocacy group critical of US nuclear power. It doesnt mean that Pilgrim is going to have an accident tomorrow or even in my lifetime, but ultimately we cant rule out the possibility of that happening," he said Wednesday. Dr. Jaczko resigned from the five-member regulatory body last year, after wrangling with other commissioners over the industrys response to Japans nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Safety has to be: Eliminate the possibility of severe accidents, Jaczko added. It doesnt matter how low the probability is; it is an unacceptable consequence.

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out power to the plant, loom large over the discussion of the nuclear industry's future. That disaster forced the evacuation of about 100,000 people and closed most of Japans remaining nuclear plants, and the cleanup continues today. Naoto Kan, then Japanese prime minister, oversaw the countrys immediate response to Fukushima. The experience led him to shift his position away from a pro-nuclear stance and toward renewables. The only way to prevent a nuclear disaster is to not have nuclear at all, Mr. Kan said, through a translator at Wednesdays panel. Market forces are also driving down prospects for nuclear power in the United States. So far this year, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in Vernon, Vt., and Kewaunee Power Station near Green Bay, Wis., have closed because of competition from gas and wind power in local electricity markets. Mechanical failures and safety concerns have hurried the demise of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on the California coast and Crystal River Nuclear Plant in Citrus County, Fla. Its absolutely crystal clear that the primary factor driving the collapse of the nuclear renaissance is economics, said Mark Cooper, a senior research fellow at the Vermont Law Schools Institute for Energy and the Environment, in a telephone interview. The aging reactors are getting too costly to run given the alternatives available to us. In a July 2013 report, "Renaissance in Reverse," Mr. Cooper identifies 38 other US nuclear reactors at risk of early retirement due to competition from cheaper energy sources. Emerging technologies still hold the promise of a cheaper, more scalable nuclear industry, and the global outlook could brighten, as China, Russia, and India plan investments in a stable source of power that emits no carbon dioxide emissions. But as long as the US continues to enjoy cheap, plentiful natural gas, many say it will be nearly impossible for nuclear to compete. Ten years ago, the nuclear industry, which provides about 20 percent of US electricity, was expected to be on the verge of a nuclear renaissance, based on growing interest in carbon-free energy, the possibility of a carbon tax, and the fading memory of the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster. But the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, the dramatic boom in US natural gas production, and the global economic recession threw a wrench in that plan. Only 38 percent of Americans now favor promoting the increased use of nuclear power while 58 percent are opposed, according to a September poll by the Pew Research Center. It's the highest level of opposition to promoting nuclear since the question was first asked in 2005. As a consequence, even existing power plants face renewed opposition and regulation. Entergy Corp., the owner of Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in Buchanan, N.Y., is seeking to renew the nearly 40-year-old plants license from the NRC. That plant, now operating with an expired license, is up against opposition from local officials who are trying to block continued use of Hudson River water for cooling purposes. If, in fact, that practice now conflicts with the state's coastal management program, Entergy would have to build expensive cooling plants that would probably not be economically viable. Entergy officials say they are optimistic that a deal can be worked out. Indian Point generates about a quarter of New York City and Westchester's power, according to Entergy, and employs 1,000 permanent workers and 200 on-site contractors, providing $147 million in payroll for full-time employees annually.

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industry supporters say have layers of additional safety measures and arent exposed to the same kinds of risks. Comparing the accident at Fukushima Daiichi to a hypothetical accident at Indian Point or Pilgrim is intellectually dishonest and resembles the classic fear mongering intended to create unnecessary anxiety, wrote Dale Klein, also a former NRC chair and now associate vice chancellor for research at The University of Texas System. The additional safety systems and safety procedures added to the US nuclear power plants after the 9/11 attacks have greatly enhanced their ability to handle the loss of off-site power, loss of the emergency diesel generators, and the loss of back-up battery supplies, Dr. Klein wrote in an e-mailed statement. Despite this years closures and canceled upgrades, four new reactors are under construction in Georgia and South Carolina. And research is under way to develop smaller, more modular reactors that would mitigate concerns over the high upfront costs and major infrastructure required for traditional nuclear power. Deployment is years away, but, if successful, small modular reactors could open up an entire new market for nuclear in developing parts of the world that dont have the capital for large-scale plants. Those factors are why the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry advocacy group, says the outlook for nuclear is good, despite current market conditions. We feel very good about the operation of todays reactors and their performance, said Scott Peterson, senior vice president of NEI, in a telephone interview. Where we go from here largely depends on electricity demand coming back and, to some extent, where the federal government stands on climate. RECOMMENDED: Top 10 states for clean tech Related stories Top 10 states for clean tech BriefingFukushima 101: 5 questions answered about Japan's crippled nuclear reactors USA Update Plan to close Vermont Yankee marks latest blow to nuclear power Read this story at csmonitor.com Become a part of the Monitor community Become a Facebook fan! Follow us on Twitter! Follow us on Google+ Link up with us! Subscribe to our RSS feeds! 62 Comments
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0 0 BW 1 minute ago BS ! Alternatives cost around $0.15/KW. ( Add in all the never ending taxpayer paid subsidies.) Nuclear is around $0.05. ( Same as coal ). Nuclear is continuous power. Alternatives fluctuate and require expensive storage and power regulating. The biggest problem with nuclear is an ignorant public and pandering politicians that always want a cut.

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Newer reactors canWeather and have been made safer, but public hysteria is not based on Sports Finance Games Groups Answers Screen facts. ( It's based on politics and self enriching politicians . )
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0 0 John Pfeffer 39 minutes ago People need to install solar panels on roofs and small wind turbines. They will pay for themselves and eventually start making profits. With electric cars improving, can plug in and no longer buy fuel making air safer to breath. Expand Replies (1) Reply

8 3 The Mad Political Scientist 8 hours ago Nuclear Power has never been cost effective. Utilities pushed the first wave because of the way electric rates are structured. In most States, Utilities are guaranteed a fixed rate of return on Capital Investment. So utilities lied about construction costs, (no plant came in for less than twice the estimate,) and the ratepayers got to pay for both the plants and for profits based on the cost of the plants they were paying for. This pushed up electric rates until they became a big part of the hyperinflation of the More Reply

0 0 Ronald Z 1 hour ago 3 reasons I can think of. Fukashima, Chernoble and Three-mile Island. Plus, finally, the utility companies realize they don't want to pay for a melt-down, the same as they don't want to pay for 20,000 years of maintenance of toxic nuclear waste. (they correctly believe the government will not clean up their mess) Reply

0 0 John 7 minutes ago The REAL problem with nuclears is the exhorbitant cost and time to build one caused by the millions of useless regulations forced on the designers and builder by the government. If not for these silly regs you could build one at half the time and cost. I worked on several of these generators and you cannot believe the waste of time, money and materials to build one. Reply

0 3 George Politico 9 hours ago The last I heard, Bill Gates was bankrolling a Travelling Wave reactor that could greatly increase the energy yield of a given amount of fuel, greatly reduce the waste, and reduce the likelihood of fuel diversion to nuclear weapons.

We should keep our options open. Suppose that we invest heavily in windmills, but the planet heats up anyway, and wind patterns shift as the climate shifts. We could More
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0 0 Robert Watson sr 1 hour ago Which Nuclear plant has had crack and been leaking radiation into Lake ERIE? For last 15 years First Energy`s David Besse Nuclear Plant in Port Clinton OHIO. Expand Replies (1) Reply

8 0 Anton 18 hours ago Nuclear advocates claim that the chances of a catastrophic nuclear accident are 1 in 10,000.

History has shown that they are reasonably correct. with 500 nuclear power plants in operation around the world, each with a 1 in 10,000 chance of failing, you should have a catastrophic accident once every 20 years. Three mile island: 1979 Cernobyl: 1986 Fukashima : 2011 averages out to about 1 every 20 years.
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6 3 Uatu 8 hours ago Kinda of funny really. All this yelling about false fiscal crisis due to the debt limit. Just wait until the 'false energy crisis' in the coming decades as the 'environmentally

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clean energy and policies' kick in for real and energy costs double or triple. And we'll Sports Finance Weather Games Groups Answers Screen even start having California or Brazilian style rolling black outs to manage lack of energy situations. All courtesy of, who? LOL! Welcome to the coming 2nd world you More mid level stiffies The self protecting elite will gladly adore you for keeping them in
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8 1 notjustanotherdroid 7 hours ago Nuclear power in this country has been temporarily sidelined not by falling demand (please), or alternative energy sources, which are decades from being viable or affordable replacements, but by public hysteria whipped up by well-paid professional environmentalists, demagogic politicians, and their media lackeys, and we are all going to be paying the price now, and for many years to come. If demand has been falling, why has my energy bill gone up 60% over the last 10 years? More Expand Replies (3) Reply

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