Nuclear power plants around the country are shutting down. The communities where nuclear plants have been located for decades will now have to figure out how to rebuild their economies without them.
"There’s at least one thing worse than having a nuclear power plant in your town," writes Alan Greenblatt. "That’s having your nuclear power plant shut down."
Greenblatt sums up the issues that arise after a nuclear plant closes:
For obvious reasons, nuclear power plants were mostly built in fairly remote places, away from population centers. But they’re big facilities, with highly paid staff. When one of them closes, it can leave enormous holes in the local tax base.
The occasion for Greenblatt's analysis is the recent announcement by Exelon Corp that it will close down Three Mile Island in 2019. Three Mile Island is the site of the worst nuclear disaster in U.S. history, so Greenblatt's lede is all the more pointed.
Greenblatt says previous plant closures have preceded population losses and increased taxes. When the Vermont Yankee plant in Vernon, Vermont shut down in 2014, the local economy lost $100 million of activity. Another case study is offered by San Luis Obispo, in California, where the Diablo Canyon reactor is shutting down. Greenblatt suggests such towns will be challenged by implementing a new lens for their long-term strategic planning: one without the built in economic engine of a nuclear power plant.
FULL STORY: This Is What Happens When a Nuclear Plant Shuts Down
Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Could Power Microsoft Data Centers
The proposal to restart one unit of the infamous plant, which suffered a partial meltdown in 1979, still requires federal, state, and local approvals.
Extending the Life of California's Largest Power Plant
Gov. Gavin Newsom has notified the U.S. Department of Energy of his interest in using funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant slated to close in three years.
$6 Billion to Keep Uncompetitive Nuclear Plants Alive
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes $6 billion to create a credit program to extend the life of existing nuclear power plants, the largest source of carbon-free energy in the nation. The first deadline to bid for credits is May 19.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service