THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

What will happen as sea levels rise?

As sea levels continue to rise at least 13 U.S. nuclear plants could be underwater. Their vulnerability raises serious questions and concerns for the future. Reactors are usually located near coastlines, rivers, and lakes because they need extensive amounts of cool water and can't operate safely without uninterrupted power. Even when a plant isn't operating, its fuel continues to generate heat that needs to be controlled to prevent explosions or radioactive leaks.

The U.S. currently has 100 operational nuclear reactors, and another 17 that are being decommissioned. The industry needs to address the radioactive waste left behind from the plants that are no longer running. The concern is that the shorter-term pools used to cool spent fuel rods require continuously circulated water. After a few years, fuel can be moved from pools to dry casks made of steel reinforced with concrete. Though the safety risk for casks is much lower some are concerned about how long those casks can remain safe at vulnerable sites, especially those buffeted by salty sea air. At the decommissioned San Onofre plant in San Diego local activists tried but failed to stop plans to store nuclear waste 100 feet from the coast.

New nuclear plants will be built further away from coastlines. For older plants the future will be more difficult. With competition from natural gas and renewables, the cost of putting in new equipment upgrades or seawalls at an existing plant might be too much and will need to be shut down early.