Advertisement

Nuclear Power Plants Struggle To Compete With Cheap Natural Gas

06:01
Download Audio
Resume
A Monday, May 22, 2017 file photo shows cooling towers at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pa. (Matt Rourke/AP)
A Monday, May 22, 2017 file photo shows cooling towers at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pa. (Matt Rourke/AP)

The Three Mile Island nuclear plant survived a partial meltdown in 1979, but it may fall victim to cheap natural gas. The operators of the Pennsylvania plant say they will be forced to close ahead of schedule in 2019, unless the state decides to subsidize them.

Three Mile Island hasn't made money in five years. Since 2013, six U.S. nuclear reactors have shut down after struggling to turn a profit. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd talks with energy industry analyst John Larsen about the plant's fate, and the future of nuclear power.

This segment aired on June 2, 2017.

Related:

Advertisement

More from Here & Now

Listen Live
Close