Abandoned Nuclear Power Projects Over the Past 50 Years

Nuclear Power Industry

Nuclear power's history in the U.S. began in the 1940s, with President Dwight Eisenhower pressing forward with the domestic nuclear power program. Almost 100 nuclear power plants came on line over the decades, until the incident at Three Mile Island panicked the American public into opposing further construction based on fear created by the media. The actual disaster at Chernobyl further added to the fear. No one died as a result of the Three-Mile incident but a number of fire-fighters died at Chernobyl,  with about 4,000 children getting throat cancer ...99% were cured over the years since. ...but the damage to confidence was done over a 20 year-period and more without new construction. Like hydroelectric dams, the existing nuclear power plants were designed to operate for 30-to 50 years and more. 

Over the years, confidence was restored in many states and they have carried on with the operation of their plants. Then, with the discovery by geologists of huge supplies of natural gas in U.S. shale basins, the price of natural gas has dropped significantly and now compete with the economics of nuclear power. With the continuing opposition of the Left and their fear of nuclear power, and their desire to return to windmills and solar farms, they also have been opposing nuclear power even though the economics make no sense because of their variable input and need for a stable grid provided by nuclear power. The Post-Three Mile period involved a decrease in energy demand but also a lack of state support for nuclear power. See 1984 report on the these and related subjects (more).

Over the past 50 years more than 100 reactors (of about 230 projects scrutinized by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRCJ and its predecessor the Atomic Energy Commission) have been canceled even though nearly half of which had already begun construction. Many had been faced with increasing uncertainties concerning low forecasted load (demand); construction financing constraints and reversals; state certification hurdles; and challenges to nuclear profitability posed by the increase of coal plants during the 1960s to 1990s. The series presented in the link offers a sampling of projects that have been abandoned. Note: All dollar figures are from the corresponding year.

Nuclear power still has an important role in the U.S. and world energy picture.

For a review of recent U.S. activity, see (here).

For a review of world activity see (here).

For a review of the new SMRs that will likely be built in the coming years, see (here)

For a review of how media bias still attempts to steer the U.S. (and world) away from further development of using nuclear power for the generation of electricity, see (here)