NASEO and NARUC Release Report on Coal to Nuclear Repowering for State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions

Source: NASEO

In April 2024, the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) released a joint report on Coal to Nuclear Repowering: Considerations for State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions. Closures of coal power plants are expected to continue as the long-term economic viability of many of these facilities diminishes and states work to meet federal and state environmental, economic development, and climate goals. States are exploring opportunities to use the infrastructure and existing workforce located at the sites of retiring or retired coal power plants to potentially site small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). This report highlights the benefits and challenges associated with the coal to nuclear repowering process, with a particular focus on the policy, programmatic, and regulatory considerations of relevance to states. This report was made possible with support from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy and was developed in close coordination with the NARUC-NASEO Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative (ANSC), an effort comprised of 31 State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions across the country with a focus on peer sharing and information exchange on facilitating the deployment of advanced nuclear. To view the complete report, click here and for more information on the ANSC and how to get involved click here.