The U.S. Nuclear Energy Plan

The Entombed Nuclear Reactor at Piqua, Ohio
Image Credit: Department of Energy

Although it is several months old, I found the Nuclear Energy Plan presented to Congress interesting.  (The report can be downloaded here.)  On the positive side, 20 percent of U.S. energy comes from nuclear power, and the power utilities have an enviable 30 year safety record without major incident.

It appears the biggest obstacle to new nuclear power plants is the high cost of construction.  Today's nuclear fleet produces pwer for about 3.5 cents per kilowatt-hour because their construction cost has been amortized and they were built when construction costs were lower.  Most facilities have been applying for 20 year license extensions, allowing the facilities to operate for 60 years.

By 2028, the U.S. grid will start to see a decline in nuclear power because plants will be required to be deactivated.  (That decline would have begun last year if not for the 20 year extension.)  The cost of replacing the nation's 104 active power plants will be tremendous - somewhere between $4B and $6B apiece in today's dollars. 

Research is needed to find ways to decrease the construction costs. 

Comments

[concrete perth]

The place is like a concrete tomb. It is structured that way for sealing is worst comes to worst.