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Why Does Nuclear Power Plant Construction Cost So Much? - Institute for Progress

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Nuclear plant construction is often characterized as exhibiting “negative learning.” That is, instead of getting better at building plants over time, we’re getting worse. Plants have gotten radically more expensive, even as technology has improved and we understand the underlying science better. Nuclear power currently makes up slightly less than 20% of the total electricity produced in the U.S., largely from plants built in the 1970s and 80s. People are often enthusiastic about nuclear power because of its potential to decarbonize electricity production, produce electricity extremely cheaply and reduce the risk of grid disruption from weather events. But U.S. nuclear power has been hampered by steady and dramatic increases in plant construction costs, frequently over the life of a single project. In the 1980s, several plants in Washington were canceled after estimated construction costs increased from $4.1 billion to over $24 billion, resulting in a $2 billion bond default from the ut

Content What does it cost to build nuclear power? Nuclear power plants cost more and more Most of nuclear energy’s costs come from construction What’s contributing to high costs? Inputs of plant construction costs Rising labor costs are the bulk of increased construction costs Regulations constantly change Quality Assurance/Quality Control requirements are incredibly onerous The difficulty of QA/QC create a drain on technical ability How can we bring costs down? What hasn’t worked yet? What might work? Managing expectations: public support for nuclear Managing expectations: the nav

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