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Emissions Implications Of Nuclear Retirements

Emissions Implications Of Nuclear Retirements

Full Title: Emissions Implications Of Nuclear Retirements
Author(s): Doug Vine
Publisher(s): Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
Publication Date: July 1, 2017
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):

Since late 2012, five power companies retired six nuclear reactors in the United States (Table 1). Across the country, an additional seven reactors are scheduled to close by 2025 (Table 2). If this trend continues or accelerates, there could be serious climate implications. Nuclear power supplies 20 percent of total U.S. electricity production, but 57 percent of zero-carbon electricity.1 As all recent U.S. nuclear retirements have led to increased fossil fuel-fired generation, any additional loss of nuclear generating capacity could be expected to increase carbon dioxide emissions (Figure 1).2 Preserving the existing U.S. nuclear reactor fleet for as long as possible is a critical element in the transition to a low-carbon future.

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