Reactors Are Closing
There are currently 93 commercial nuclear power reactors licensed to operate in the United States.
The bulk of the US nuclear power fleet is licensed to operate within an "initial" license extension period of 40- to 60-years. The present focus of federal relicensing is on site-specific approval of a "subsequent" 20-year extensions for 60- to 80-years of reactor operations.
However, US reactors continue to permanently close.
Nuclear power is economically failing in an electricity market dominated by more competitive energy generation from natural gas (which, through fracking, comes at the cost of disastrous groundwater pollution), and increasing more wind and solar power. More conservation and greater energy efficiency use in homes, businesses and industry continues to drive electricity demand down. An inherently dangerous nuclear industry is aging and unpredictable accidents will continue to occur. As a result, atomic reactors are requiring more costly inspections, maintenance, repairs and generic backfits that drive costs up and force more reactors into permanent closure.
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U.S. REACTOR CLOSURES SINCE 2013
Indian Point-3 (NY) closed 04/30/2021
Duane Arnold (IA) closed 08/24/2020
Indian Point-2 (NY) closed 04/30/2020
Three Mile Island-1 (PA) closed 09/20/2019
Pilgrim (MA) closed 05/31/2019
Oyster Creek (NJ) closed 09/17/2018
Fort Calhoun (NE) closed 10/24/2016
Vermont Yankee (VT) closed 12/29/2014
San Onofre 2 & 3 (CA) closed 06/12/2013
Kewaunee (WI) closed 05/07/2013
Crystal River (FL) closed 02/20/2013
ANNOUNCED U.S. REACTOR CLOSURES
Byron Units 1 & 2 (IL) 09302020 Exelon announces the early closure of two pressurized water reactors in Illinois due to "severe economic challenges." Exelon is, however, yet again attempting to leverage its "threat" of reactor closures, in order to obtain a public bailout to the tune of hundreds of millions, or even a billion, dollars. Exelon threatens to cut jobs as well as tax revenues associated with the reactors, unless bailed out by the IL state legislature and governor. David Kraft of Nuclear Energy Info. Service in Chicago as a "nuclear hostage taking crisis." But Exelon's announced closure dates -- in IL, NY, and elsewhere -- have come and gone, without the "threatened" closures executed. Kraft has documented Exelon's withdraw of announced closures, as by rescidning the official reactor closure paperwork already submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission -- a reversal rubber-stamp NRC is only too happy to perform when asked. Ironically, Exelon has enjoyed high profits, executive salaries, and ratepayer returns, even while pleading poverty. It came out years later that the $2.35 billion bailout for three IL reactors Exelon secured in late 2016 was won via corruption in the IL state legislature -- corporate bribes and favors, in exchanges for bailouts, rate hikes, jobs for constituents, their friends and family, etc. These revelations have already cost very long-serving (since the early 1980s) IL House Speaker Michael Madigan his position. The Chicago Tribune has editorialized against the proposed new nuclear bailouts due to such past corruption. 10/29/2021 The Illinois State Legislature bails out the Byron and Dresden units.
Dresden Unit 2 & 3 (IL) 11/30/2021 Exelon announces the early closure of two boiling water reactors in Illinois due to "severe economic challenges." (See note above re: Byron 1 & 2, which also applies to Dresden 2 & 3.) 10/29/2021 The Illinois State Legislature bails out the Bryon and Dresden units.
FitzPatrick (NY) 1/27/2017 [Was to have closed, but now Gov. Cuomo's nuclear tax, a bailout at ratepayer expense, of $7.6 billion, would extend upstate NY reactor operations for a dozen years beyond 2017, including at FitzPatrick]
Ginna (NY) March 2017 (Was to have closed, absent state approved ratepayer bailout; see FitzPatrick note above re: Gov. Cuomo's nuclear tax)
Clinton (IL) 06/01/2017 (Was to have closed, absent early Dec., 2016 state-approved ratepayer bailout approved by Gov. Rauner and the State Legislature)
Palisades (MI), to be closed by May 31, 2022 (Entergy had announced, in early Dec. 2016, it would close Palisades by Oct. 1, 2018. The sudden reversal, to stay open nearly four additional years, was made abruptly after the Michigan Public Service Commission’s order in late Sepember 2017 that Consumers Energy could recover only $136.6 million of the $172 million it requested for ending out the PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) early. As Tim Judson of NIRS put it, Entergy could have found the $35.4 million 'shortfall' in its couch cushions! See Beyond Nuclear's press statement on the day Entergy reversed itself, and decided to keep operating Palisades at least an additional three years and seven months. Palisades has actually been rubber-stamped by NRC to operate till 2031, despite Beyond Nuclear et al.'s best efforts to the contrary. But hopefully the May 31, 2022 closure date is for real, as the Power Purchase Agreement is ending.)
Quad Cities 1 & 2 (IL) 06/01/2018 (Was to have closed, absent early Dec., 2016 state-approved ratepayer bailout; see Clinton above)
Davis-Besse (OH) Was supposed to have closed by 05/31/2020, but has not as of Feb. 26, 2021 (unless FirstEnergy secures a bailout to prop it up longer; it is rubber-stamped by NRC to operate till 2037, for 60 years! See here for more info.) Tom Henry at the Toledo Blade reports that the announced shutdown date for Davis-Besse is May 31, 2020. A $1.1 billion bailout, at ratepayer expense, was approved by the state legislature and signed into law by Republican Ohio governor Dewine, so Davis-Besse will keep operating past the previously announced 5/31/20 shutdown date. The FBI and Justice Department investigation has brought Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charges against Ohio House Chairman and four others in connection with passage of the bailout law. By September 2020, repeal of the bailout is popular. Court rulings in late 2020 suspended the initiation of the bailout surcharges on ratepayer electric bills on Jan. 1, 2021. However, the state legislature has failed to repeal the bailout, as of Feb. 26, 2021. Former Ohio House Speaker, Larry Householder, still sits in the legislature, despite his leadership role in the $60 million bribery scandal, and guilty pleas by multiple co-conspirators.
Perry (OH) Was supposed to close by 5/31/2021 (unless FirstEnergy secures a bailout to prop it up longer; it is rubber-stamped by NRC to operate till 2037, for 60 years! See here for more info.) Tom Henry at the Toledo Blade reports that the announced shutdown date for Perry is May 31, 2021. A $1.1 billion bailout, at ratepayer expense, has been approved by the state legislature and signed into law by Republican Ohio governor Dewine, so Perry will keep operating past the previously announced 5/31/21 shutdown date. The FBI and Justice Department investigation has brought Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charges against Ohio House Chairman and four others in connection with passage of the bailout law. By September 2020, repeal of the bailout is popular. Court rulings in late 2020 suspended the initiation of the bailout surcharges on ratepayer electric bills on Jan. 1, 2021. However, the state legislature has failed to repeal the bailout, as of Feb. 26, 2021. Former Ohio House Speaker, Larry Householder, still sits in the legislature, despite his leadership role in the $60 million bribery scandal, and guilty pleas by multiple co-conspirators.
Beaver Valley Unit 1 (PA) Was supposed to close by 5/31/2021 (unless FirstEnergy secures a bailout to prop it up longer; it is rubber-stamped by NRC to operate till 2037, for 60 years! See here for more info.) Tom Henry at the Toledo Blade reports that the announced shutdown date for Beaver Valley Unit 1 is May 31, 2021. UPDATE March 16, 2020 (FirstEnergy, now Energy Harbor Corp, announces closure notice to be rescinded)
Beaver Valley Unit 2 (PA) Was supposed to close by 10/31/2021 (unless FirstEnergy secures a bailout to prop it up longer; it is rubber-stamped by NRC to operate till 2037, for 60 years! See here for more info.) Tom Henry at the Toledo Blade reports that the announced shutdown date for Beaver Valley Unit 2 is October 31, 2021. UPDATE MARCH 16, 2020 (FirstEnergy, now Energy Harbor Corp, announces closure notice to be rescinded).
Diablo Canyon 1 (CA) Scheduled to close by 11/02/2024 (PG&E will not seek a 20-year license extension)
Diablo Canyon 2 (CA) Scheduled to close by 08/26/2025 (PG&E will not seek a 20-year license extension)
CANADIAN REACTORS ON THE GREAT LAKES AND U.S. BORDER ARE CLOSING
[Please note that the Gentilly Unit 2 reactor in Quebec, Canada also closed in Dec., 2012.]
[Please note that the remaining six operable reactors at the Pickering nuclear power plant, immediately east of Toronto in Ontario, Canada also were to have been closed in 2019; however, in late 2015-early 2016, a five-year extension of operations was announced, till 2024 -- and as of August 26, 2020, it is now reported Pickering may keep operating into 2025; two reactors there already previously closed for good.]
For the list of all permanently closed reactors in the U.S., see Appendix C in NRC's 2020-2021 Information Digest. A grand total of 35 reactors have been permanently shutdown in the U.S.