"Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant to Close by Year-End"

"The Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) board of directors voted unanimously on June 16 to close Fort Calhoun Station, the smallest nuclear power plant in the U.S., due to economic reasons.

In April, OPPD Board Chairman Mick Mines asked senior management to develop potential scenarios regarding future power resources. Tim Burke, president and CEO of OPPD, recommended closure of the plant during the board’s May meeting, but the board chose to review the proposal for a month before making a decision.

With today’s vote, Fort Calhoun becomes the twelfth U.S. nuclear unit to close or announce plans to close since October 2012. Many of the plants have been small, single-unit facilities facing economic difficulties similar to Fort Calhoun. But the recently announced closure of Quad Cities station, an 1,871-MW dual-unit facility in Illinois, demonstrates that current market prices—driven low by the abundance of natural gas in the U.S.—can affect any size nuclear plant."

Aaron Larson reports for Power magazine June 16, 2016.

SEE ALSO:

"Exelon Threatens To Close N.Y. Reactors" (EnergyWire)