nuclear-news

Utilities in USA finding it uneconomic to extend life of nuclear reactors beyond 60 years

Senator: Utilities see little value in extending nukes beyond 60 years SNL, By Matthew Bandyk 5 Mar 15 High-level energy company executives have told Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., that they will not ask federal regulators for permission to extend the operation of many of their nuclear power reactors beyond 60 years of operation, the senator said at a March 4 hearing that scrutinized the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s $1.03 billion budget request for fiscal year 2016.

While he did not name names, Alexander said that in private conversations, company executives have indicated that in many cases it might not make economic sense to pay for all the upgrades that the NRC would require if a nuclear plant wanted a 20-year license extension to run for 80 years. While about 75 of the 99 operating reactors in the U.S. have received license extensions to stay online for up to 60 years, no plant has yet asked to be licensed beyond that period, creating fears among the industry and outspoken nuclear proponents such as Alexander that after the next decade the amount of nuclear capacity will fall off a cliff as plants start to hit their 60-year lifespans and retire…….

“Big utility operators tell me they are not even thinking about asking for extensions of time that their reactors will stay online … because it’s not economic to operate them,” he also said…..

The NRC’s fiscal-year 2016 budget request is down $27.3 million compared to the proposal in fiscal year 2015, reflecting a decrease of about 140 full-time employees due to decreased workload in the offices of New Reactors and Fuel Facilities, according to a statement from the NRC…….https://www.snl.com/InteractiveX/Article.aspx?cdid=A-31556548-11565

March 21, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA