The U.S. Department of Energy recently released an information guide for communities considering replacing their retired or retiring coal power plants with nuclear power plants.
The guide is based on a technical study that found transitioning from a coal plant to a nuclear one “would create additional higher paying jobs at the plant, create hundreds of additional jobs locally, and spur millions of dollars in increased revenues and economic activity in the host community,” DOE said.
It also found that, with planning and support for training, most workers at an existing coal plant should be able to transition to work at a replacement nuclear plant.
Coal-to-nuclear transitions could dramatically increase the supply of reliable, clean electricity to the grid and make progress toward the nation’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, DOE said.
This information guide builds on DOE’s 2022 study that found hundreds of U.S. coal power plant sites across the country could be converted to nuclear power plant sites.
DOE’s information guide offers communities a high-level look at the economic impacts, workforce transition considerations, and policy and funding information relevant to a coal-to-nuclear transition. It also provides utilities a brief overview of considerations to be aware of such as power requirements, project scope and timeline, and infrastructure reuse.
