EPA’s Clean Power Plan does not include new nuclear power as a compliance option

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently analyzed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan and was forced to consider new nuclear capacity in a separate case analysis because building new nuclear capacity beyond current construction or retirement is not included in the EPA’s major compliance options.

This could be detrimental to the U.S. economy, as 20 percent of the nation’s electricity is generated from nuclear power. This figure remains strong even though four nuclear reactors closed in 2013 and an additional unity closed in 2014.

The listing was made in spite of the EPA’s proposed rule for zero carbon dioxide emissions from nuclear power. The EIA states that the new Clean Power Plan treats new nuclear power generation just like new renewable generation in its compliance calculations. This means that future nuclear generation and electricity prices could be either less than or the same as the EPA’s preferential treatment towards renewable power options.

Nuclear capacity is set to change by 2030, resulting in an additional 12 gigawatts of nuclear capacity in order to build over compliance case results. Experts estimate that this figure could increase to 19 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2040.

The EIA states that this biased treatment demonstrates that the EPA’s Clean Power Plan seeks to limit options for electric utility, despite the EPA’s loud claims that it targets 30 percent reduction in emissions released by the electric generation sector by 2030.