Balancing US nuclear power output depends on timing of shutdowns and new construction

Ars Technica : Over the next five years, several new nuclear reactors are scheduled to open in the US. Within the same time span, two currently operating reactors are to be shut down , and a third plant, Vermont Yankee, has already closed. The combined capacity of 5.5 GW to be produced by five of the new reactors—located at the Watts Bar, Vogtle, and V. C. Summer plants—will exceed the 2 GW produced by the three plants being shut down. However, construction delays could push some of the new plant openings into the 2020s. Although the drop in power generation if that happens is not expected to be a significant problem, considering the US’s total nuclear capacity of 100 GW, extensive delays in the construction of new plants could cause problems down the road. The majority of US nuclear capacity comes from reactors that have had their operational lifetimes extended once already; if their licenses are not renewed within the next 20 years, the number of new plants coming on line may not be able to offset the loss of the old ones. Currently, nuclear plants are the US’s largest low-carbon power source, providing 19% of the country’s electricity.