[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 35837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-14364]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2020-0266]
Replacement Energy Cost Estimates for Nuclear Power Plants: 2020-
2030
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: NUREG; issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing NUREG-
2242, ``Replacement Energy Cost Estimates for Nuclear Power Plants:
2020-2030.'' This report updates previous estimates of replacement
energy costs for potential shutdowns of U.S. nuclear electricity-
generating units due to a temporary power reactor outage to implement
safety modifications or the loss of generation associated with a
possible severe reactor accident. The final NUREG largely, is unchanged
from the draft issued for public comment but has been revised to
reflect the recent change to retirement dates for Byron Units 1 and 2,
and Dresden Units 2 and 3.
DATES: NUREG-2242 is available on July 7, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2020-0266 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly available information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2020-0266. Address
questions about Docket IDs to Stacy Schumann; telephone: 301-415-0624;
email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact the
individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS
Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public
Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or
by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number for each
document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first
time that it is mentioned in this document.
Attention: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
of public documents, is currently closed. You may submit your request
to the PDR via email at [email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or
301-415-4737, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Noto, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-6795, email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Discussion
The NRC has developed new replacement energy cost estimates for
both short and long-term nuclear power plant outages. This NUREG-2242,
``Replacement Energy Cost Estimates for Nuclear Power Plants: 2020-
2030'' (ADAMS Accession No. ML21174A176), updates and replaces the
replacement energy cost estimate information in NUREG/CR-4012, Volume
4, ``Replacement Energy Costs for Nuclear Electricity-Generating Units
in the United States: 1997-2001,'' and NUREG/CR-6080, ``Replacement
Energy, Capacity, and Reliability Costs for Permanent Nuclear Reactor
Shutdowns'' (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML20073J435 and ML20076F500).
This report provides replacement energy costs that have been
estimated for the U.S. electricity wholesale market regions with
nuclear electricity-generating units, over the 2020-2030 period. These
estimates were developed to assist the NRC in evaluating proposed
regulatory actions that (1) require safety modifications that might
necessitate temporary reactor outages and (2) reduce the potential for
extended outages resulting from a severe reactor accident. Estimates
were calculated using ABB's PROMOD model and ICF's Integrated Planning
Model for North America. The models simulate dispatching a collection
of generating units in merit order (i.e., lowest to highest incremental
cost of dispatch) until the regional power demand is met. Each
generating unit is characterized by the technology and fuel it uses to
generate electricity, the unit's heat rate, and the variable and fixed
costs incurred in owning and operating the unit. To estimate the
replacement energy cost, the report models a Reference Case, in which
all operational nuclear power plants are generating, and an Alternative
Case, in which a nuclear generating unit is taken offline so that the
next unit in merit order is dispatched to replace the lost generation.
The difference in market clearing prices between the two cases is the
replacement energy cost.
The resulting wholesale power price projections capture the
dynamics and economics of the U.S. electricity markets that provide
short and long-term replacement energy cost estimates on a market area
basis. Factors that affect replacement energy costs include load
growth, replacement sources of generation, fuel prices, air emission
requirement outlooks and seasonal variations.
II. Public Outreach
Following development of the updated report, the NRC posted the
draft NUREG-2242 to the Federal Rulemaking website at https://www.regulations.gov for a 60-day public comment period (85 FR 82528;
December 18, 2020). The comment period closed on February 16, 2021. The
NRC received no comments on the draft NUREG. The NRC staff held a
Category 3 public meeting on November 18, 2020 to discuss the updated
replacement energy cost estimates. The NRC presentation can be found in
ADAMS under Accession No. ML20322A003, and the meeting summary can be
found in ADAMS under Accession No. ML20336A181.
III. Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and Issue Finality
The NRC's issuance and use of this report do not constitute
backfitting as that term is defined in Section 50.109 of title 10 of
the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Backfitting,'' and as
described in NRC Management Directive (MD) 8.4, ``Management of
Backfitting, Forward Fitting, Issue Finality, and Information
Requests''; do not affect the issue finality of an approval under 10
CFR part 52, ``Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear
Power Plants'' and do not constitute forward fitting as that term is
defined and described in MD 8.4.
Dated: June 30, 2021.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kevin A. Coyne,
Deputy Director, Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial
Support.
[FR Doc. 2021-14364 Filed 7-6-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P