Welcome to Grid Brief! Here’s what we’re looking at today: a new report finds vast potential for expanding nuclear power in the U.S., PJM considers ways to fast-track projects, and the federal government greenlights transmission project.

New Report Finds Vast Potential for Nuclear Power in the U.S.

With grid regulators concerned about meeting future energy demand, state governments and federal legislators are becoming increasingly in favor of nuclear power. Despite its ability to provide clean baseload power to the grid, the energy source has been inhibited by cost overruns and project delays.

One solution that advocates have proposed is putting new reactors at the site of existing ones to cut down on costs and project timelines. While good in theory, there has not been sufficient data to enact this strategy—until now. A new report from the Department of Energy analyzed existing and recently retired nuclear and coal-fired power plants and found that the U.S. could build more than 60 gigawatts of nuclear energy (enough to power 45 million homes) at these sites.

Specifically, the report found:

• 69% (37 of 54) of the current NPP sites may be amenable to siting an additional large LWR, which is defined as 1,000 MWe or more;

• 76% (41 of 54) of the current NPP sites may be amenable to siting a generic 600 MWe advanced reactor technology on a 50-acre footprint;

• Illinois has the most potential to grow its fleet of nuclear power plants, with six sites being deemed “suitable”;

• 79% (115 of 145) of evaluated coal-fired power plants have the potential to site a large LWR rated at 1,117 MWe (AP1000), while 94% could host a large LWR rated at 1,000 MWe; and

• 100% of evaluated coal power plants could site a generic 600 MWe reactor technology.

PJM Considers Fast Tracking Projects

Prices for most customers in the PJM Interconnection will rise in the coming years as the RTO struggles to build enough supply to meet rising demand. Consumers in Maryland, for instance, could see their electricity bills rise between 2 and 24 percent, depending on location, as a result of the RTO’s capacity auction in July.

One nagging issue that is increasing prices is the interconnection queue. While developers are proposing and building new energy projects, it can take a while for these projects to be connected to the grid. PJM is working through this queue and expects to process about 72 GW in projects by the third quarter of next year and 230 GW over the next three years, according to Ethan Howland of Utility Dive.

The RTO is considering additional proposals to speed up this process, including greenlighting shovel-ready projects and streamlining the transfer of capacity interconnection rights from retiring power plants to new resources at the same site.

Upgrade to Grid Brief Premium to get extra deep dives into energy issues all over the world.

Conversation Starters

• Porsche-backed startup opens battery recycling facility (CNBC)

  Cylib is building a $200 million battery recycling facility in Germany. The startup estimates that it will be able to recycle 30,000 metric tons of end-of-life batteries at the facility each year, making it the largest in the world.

• Biden administration greenlights Nevada power project (The Hill)

  The federal government has approved the Greenlink West Transmission Project, which will create a system of new power lines from Las Vegas to Reno. When completed, it should transmit enough energy to power 4.8 million homes.

• California farmers turn to agave amid drought conditions (NPR)

  Farmers in the Golden State are turning from avocados and nuts to growing agave. The crop, commonly found in Mexico, is easy to maintain and impervious to extreme heat and drought.

Share Grid Brief

We rely on word of mouth to grow. If you're enjoying this, don't forget to forward Grid Brief to your friends and ask them to subscribe!