US atomic reactor capacity factor less than 76% on average
The US atomic power industry would like the public to believe that its capacity factor -- comparing actual generation to theoretical rated capacity -- is very high. In fact, in recent years, operating nuclear power plants in the US have operated at an above 90% capacity factor -- attained by taking short cuts on safety, due to NRC regulatory rollbacks, "burning" nuclear fuel to higher "burn up" (that is, leaving nuclear fuel in reactor cores longer, thus increasing the irradiated nuclear fuel's thermal output and radioactivity levels), and performing needed maintenance during operations, rather than during re-fueling outages. However, the FOE/Earth Track analysis by Doug Koplow on tax breaks for new reactors in the Kerry-Lieberman "American Power Act" reports that: "The historical weighted average capacity factor for the U.S. nuclear fleet through 2008 was less than 76%, according to data compiled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA, 2009)." Thus vendors' claims that their new reactors (such as the AP1000 and the EPR) will have a 93% capacity factor is very dubious. The nuclear power industry tries to downplay the potential for solar and wind power by saying "The sun doesn't always shine, and the wind doesn't always blow." But reactors don't always operate either. Dave Lochbaum at UCS has reported on over 50 safety related shutdowns at US nuclear power plants that have lasted for longer than a year. And with the worsening climate crisis and the resulting extreme weather conditions, reactors will likely be forced to shut down more and more often as a safety precaution.
July 10, 2010