Replacement Energy Cost Estimates for Nuclear Power Plants: 2020-2030, 35837 [2021-14364]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 7, 2021 / Notices
Dated: June 30, 2021.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joel S. Wiebe,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing
Branch III, Division of Operating Reactor
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2021–14456 Filed 7–6–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[NRC–2020–0266]
Replacement Energy Cost Estimates
for Nuclear Power Plants: 2020–2030
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: NUREG; issuance.
AGENCY:
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: Stacy.Schumann@nrc.gov. 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
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:44 Jul 06, 2021
Jkt 253001
the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR)
reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301–
415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@
nrc.gov. 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 pdr.resource@nrc.gov 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: Pamela.Noto@nrc.gov.
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 electricitygenerating 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
PO 00000
Frm 00109
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
35837
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 longterm 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
E:\FR\FM\07JYN1.SGM
07JYN1
Agencies
[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]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2020-0266]
Replacement Energy Cost Estimates for Nuclear Power Plants: 2020-
2030
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: NUREG; issuance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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