Full Title: The Impacts of Nuclear Retirements under the Clean Power Plan
Author(s): FTI Consulting
Publisher(s):
Publication Date: August 1, 2016
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Description (excerpt):
Nuclear energy is an important source of carbon-free electric power generation. Nuclear plants provide 20 percent of our nation’s electric power and 62 percent of all carbon-free electric power. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan (CPP) sets emission reduction targets of 30 percent below 2006 levels by 2030 from the electric power sector. Nuclear energy will need to play a critical role within the electricity generation portfolio if these EPA goals are to be met. However, the nuclear industry is facing economic challenges – low natural gas prices, tax credits for renewables, and market design factors – in addition to several regulatory and political pressures that could lead to sizable reductions in the nuclear fleet over the next 10 to 20 years.