US nuclear industry faces multitude of challenges

Washington Post : Safety concerns, economic viability, and legal restrictions are all challenging the future of the nuclear energy industry in the US. Currently, three reactors have been closed for more than a year, and two new reactors under construction have seen costs increase because of safety concerns. Plants in Wisconsin and Florida will be closing because the companies operating them have determined that it isn’t cost efficient to run the reactors in the face of low natural gas prices and the dropping costs of wind and solar energy generation. The planned UniStar project at Calvert Cliffs, Maryland, has had its license denied by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after the majority owner, US-based Constellation Energy, sold its 51% share, leaving the project wholly owned by électricité de France. Under the Atomic Energy Act, foreign majority control or ownership of nuclear facilities is illegal. With only three other new reactors under construction, the industry may not be able to maintain its 20% share of energy generation in the US as energy demands increase. However, there are plans to increase efficiency, and several companies are developing designs for smaller, less expensive reactors.