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U.S. NEWS Saturday 1 June 2019

Pilgrim shutdown ends nuclear power era in Massachusetts

By BOB SALSBERG power system, says three hold public hearings before
Associated Press new power plants that can signing off.
PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — burn either natural gas or Holtec has never owned a
The Pilgrim nuclear power oil will be online by this sum- commercial nuclear plant.
plant in Plymouth has per- mer and several small solar WHERE DOES RADIOACTIVE
manently shut down af- facilities and a new wind FUEL GO?
ter 47 years of generating farm will also help absorb Pilgrim’s more than 4,000
electricity, bring to a close the impact. spent fuel rod assemblies
the era of nuclear power in “We’ve actually seen more will initially be placed in
Massachusetts. megawatts coming in than “wet storage” — essentially
The final shutdown oc- the megawatts of Pilgrim large pools of water where
curred at 5:28 p.m. Friday. that are leaving,” said the superhot fuel is cooled
Entergy announced in 2015 Anne George, a vice presi- for at least two years.
it would retire Massachu- dent for ISO. Next comes the “dry stor-
setts’ only remaining re- The shutdown could result age” phase: The spent fuel
actor, citing competition in a short-term increase in is transferred into giant met-
from less expensive energy carbon emissions because al and concrete-reinforced Warning signs are posted near a gate to the Pilgrim Nuclear
sources. of the greater reliance on cylinders that stay at the Power Station, in Plymouth, Mass., Tuesday, May 28, 2019.
Entergy had said the shut- the gas and oil-burning site unless or until a national Associated Press
down would take about plants, she added, though nuclear waste storage fa- 300 feet (91 meters) from relocate it about 75 feet
five hours with technicians longer range trends point cility is created. ocean’s edge and 25 feet above sea level, in part as
first reducing Pilgrim’s pow- to growth in cleaner, re- Existing storage casks are (7.6 meters) above sea protection from flooding or
er output from the 40% to newable energy sources. kept on a pad adjacent level. Plans are in the works erosion induced by climate
26% to about 8%, before It’s unclear whether Pil- to the reactor, roughly to build a larger pad and change.q
launching the final step of grim’s closing could affect
inserting control rods into consumer prices. George
the fuel assembly to seal off noted that nuclear power
further nuclear reactions. generally enters the elec-
The focus now turns to the tricity market at lower pric-
daunting task of cleaning es than most other fuels.
up and dismantling the WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
plant. The Nuclear Regula- It’s far from certain how de-
tory Commission is review- commissioning will unfold.
ing Entergy’s proposal to Entergy announced plans
sell Pilgrim to a private nu- last year to sell Pilgrim,
clear waste management along with several other
firm that promises a speedi- retiring U.S. reactors, to
er decommissioning. Holtec International for de-
The closing leaves Sea- commissioning. The deals
brook in New Hampshire are awaiting NRC approv-
and Millstone in Connecti- al.
cut as New England’s only Holtec is promising an
still-operating commercial aggressive schedule for
nuclear plants. cleaning up and removing
A closer look at Pilgrim’s the physical plant within
shutdown: eight years at an estimated
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR cost of $1.1 billion. Absent
REGIONAL ENERGY SUP- the sale, Entergy would
PLIES? place Pilgrim into so-called
Pilgrim’s retirement and “safe storage” mode under
the loss of its 680 mega- a $1.6 billion decommis-
watts of power aren’t likely sioning plan that could last
to disrupt overall regional up to 60 years.
energy supplies or the reli- Massachusetts Attorney
ability of the electrical grid, General Maura Healey has
according to experts. raised several concerns
ISO-New England, which about the proposed sale
operates the region’s bulk and has requested NRC