It's a goner - Crystal River reactor will never re-open! Duke Energy announced early Tuesday it will permanently close the Crystal River nuclear plant that has been shut down since late 2009. That was the year that workers attempting to replace the steam generator, cracked the reactor's 42-inch thick concrete containment building. They repaired the wall only to discover their efforts had cracked the wall again. The 36-year-old plant has been idle since. More.