"It was a major cause of the decline in nuclear construction through the 1980s and 1990s."Įric Epstein, a Harrisburg resident who chairs the Three Mile Island Alert organization that has long called for the shutdown of the facility, agreed that the accident set the industry back decades. "Public confidence in nuclear energy, particularly in (the) USA, declined sharply following the Three Mile Island accident," according to the World Nuclear Association, a pro-industry group. But plans for 39 others were canceled in the wake of the catastrophe, according to NRC documents, though factors such as high interest rates also contributed to the slowdown in new plants. Ī number of plants that were already in the pipeline prior to TMI's accident received licenses to operate after 1979. Two more reactors are under construction in Georgia, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).ĭivided Democrats: Nuclear power finds odd bedfellow in 2020 Dems as voters look for climate change solutionsīut six reactors at five plants have been mothballed since 2013, and several others are slated to close in the next few years if they do not receive new financial support, according to a report last year from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Only one new nuclear power plant has come online in the United States since 2010: The Watts Bar Unit 2 in Tennessee, according to the U.S. ![]() TMI's shuttering means there will be 97 commercial reactors at 59 plants scattered across 30 states. Go to the infographic: How America’s worst nuclear accident unfolded In addition, diminished demand has hurt profitability, as have rising costs to operate them, analysts say. "So people who think we can get there without nuclear being part of the blend just aren't looking at the facts."īut economic factors, mainly from the production of cheap natural gas and increasingly affordable renewable sources, are slowly driving nuclear power out of business. Cory Booker, D-N.J., told a CNN town hall on climate change earlier this month. "Right now, nuclear is more than 50% of our non-carbon causing energy," Sen. Some Democratic presidential candidates have touted the benefits of "next-generation" nuclear power – or at least said it's worthy of consideration – as they push for alternatives to coal, oil and gas. With environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers calling for ambitious deadlines to wean the country off fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gases, advocates say nuclear power is emerging as a necessary ingredient of any response plan.Ĭhilling memories: 'It scared the hell out of people': Remembering Three Mile Island accident, 40 years later Nuclear is the largest single supplier of carbon-free energy in the nation, providing about 20% of U.S. energy. The closure of Three Mile Island comes as nuclear power is getting a second look thanks to the devastating impact of climate change. ![]() ![]() "It's the most important event that’s occurred in this area since the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.” Nuclear energy comeback “It shouldn't be forgotten," he said, the towers looming over his shoulder as he stood outside the plant's grounds along Route 441. While it may not produce power, Three Mile Island (TMI) will continue to generate memories, said local historian Erik Fasick. The plant's four cooling towers will remain part of the landscape for now, foreboding concrete tombstones that seem out of place in the bucolic Susquehanna Valley of central Pennsylvania. Even though the plant is licensed to operate until 2034, Exelon Generation ceased operations after the state of Pennsylvania earlier this year refused to throw the company a financial lifeline that would have kept it open. Start the day smarter: Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inboxĪt noon on Friday, the remaining reactor (Unit 1) generated its last kilowatt of energy and closed, a victim not of the anti-nuclear movement but rather of simple economics. The partial meltdown sparked national protests, prompted increased safety standards for the nuclear power industry, and largely stymied the industry's momentum for decades until recent alarm over climate change has made some begin to embrace expanding carbon-free nuclear power. Some 14 miles away, the "accident" was unfolding in Unit 2 at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant, triggering panic, confusion and, within days, an evacuation order. "Well it didn't take us long to find out. ![]() "We had this smell in the air, wondering what it was," recalled Garver, 80, now a retired salesman. MIDDLETOWN, PA – Even 40 years later, John Garver vividly remembers the metallic taste of the nation's worst commercial nuclear disaster.Īn acrid odor permeated Harrisburg as he walked out of a restaurant in Pennsylvania's capital city the morning of March 28, 1979. Watch Video: Three Mile Island nuclear plant closing 40 years after partial meltdown
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