The abandonment of the construction of Units 2 and 3 at the Summer nuclear power plant site, announced in late July, has been interpreted as signaling the end of the nuclear renaissance in the United States. The idea of a nuclear renaissance in the mid-2000s represented optimism that a new generation of commercial nuclear plants could be constructed in a timely and cost-efficient manner to help achieve carbon reduction goals. That optimism was supported by the standard design of the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor, Nuclear Regulatory Commission license approvals, and regulatory approval to include new-plant-related costs in rates during construction. But construction delays and cost overruns, the Westinghouse financial default, and low-cost, abundant natural gas have negated the optimism that nuclear power would be part of the United States' clean energy future.
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