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News for communities facing nuclear plant closure

Welcome to news from the Nuclear Closure Communities Technical Assistance program

Helping communities that host a nuclear power plant better prepare and plan for a post-nuclear future

Whether you represent a community facing a nuclear power plant closure or just want to keep up with the latest updates, this monthly newsletter is for you. If you received this message from a friend or colleague, sign up here to join the mailing list and receive important information and resources carefully curated by the NCC TA team right in your inbox. 

In addition to this newsletter, to better position the municipalities and regions bracing for this dislocation, our team will be providing guidance and analysis, offering a set of tools, and building a supportive community of practice and events. Ask for assistance here >>

Currently active nuclear energy plants by Economic Development Administration region

Our next event:

Lessons learned and best practices for transitioning economies

Join us for a webinar on January 21 from 2-3 p.m. EST to hear from leaders from two regions facing similar challenges—one responding to the closure of coal-fired power plants and the other to the loss of the paper mill industry—as they share best practices and lessons learned from their communities’ economic recovery journeys, which can help support transition and diversification efforts in your community.

Highlights of the month

Socioeconomic Impacts from Nuclear Power Plant Closure and Decommissioning: Host Community Experiences, Best Practices, and Recommendations — The Nuclear Decommissioning Collaborative
What does it really mean to close and decommission a nuclear power plant? This report relies on a combination of stakeholder interviews and research to paint a more complete picture, with a focus on the host community experience. 

Managing the Socioeconomic Impact of the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities — International Atomic Energy Agency
Interested in the socioeconomic consequences of the shutdown and decommissioning of a nuclear facility? This report walks through how to manage them and identifies the factors that affect the severity of the impact.

Hello Brownfields, Let Me Introduce You to Former Nuclear Power Plants — Center for Creative Land Recycling
A growing awareness of the impact of nuclear power plant closure is similar to what we saw in the early days of the brownfields industry. Read this piece to learn how the experience, lessons, and best practices of brownfields practitioners will prove to be helpful for advancing redevelopment at former nuclear sites.

Keep reading

Learn more about this collaborative effort between Smart Growth America, the Nuclear Decommissioning Collaborative, the Center on Creative Land Recycling, and the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation. Check out the recap and recording of our launch webinar here >>

If you aren’t an expert on the nuclear decommissioning process, a good place to start is the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) Backgrounder on Decommissioning Power Plants and the World Nuclear Association’s piece on Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities. 

Economic Impact Assessment Report: Prospective Closure of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant — California Public Utilities Commission, 2019
This report intends to model and better understand the socio-economic contribution of a nuclear power plant and the impacts of closure on a host community and surrounding region. If you’d like to learn more about the fiscal challenges for county and city managers, local community expenditure concerns, housing crisis and affordability gaps, and the community impacts not reflected in economic numbers, this is a great example to start with. 

News

Check out The Nuclear Decommissioning Collaborative’s regularly updated news board to keep up to date with nuclear decommissioning initiatives across the country. 

• Palisades Decommissioning Panel Announced - WSJM (12/14)
• Taxing nuclear waste discussed - Jersey Shore Online (12/8)
• Much work remains as Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station moves toward decommissioning - Wicked Local (12/2)
• Feds speed sale of Three Mile Island unit amid state concern about decommissioning - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (12/1) 

Upcoming events and opportunities

Right now, this list is short!

• Register for our next online session, as noted above: Lessons Learned and Best Practices for Transitioning Economies.

To inquire about partnering with the team on behalf of your community, please fill out the contact form on SGA’s website. 

This effort utilizes Federal funds under award ED20HDQ3030068 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the project team and do not necessarily reflect the views of EDA or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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