FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. has formally notified the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it plans to deactivate three nuclear power plants, totaling more than 4,000 MW, over the next three years due to "severe economic challenges."
The company said April 25 that its certification letter filing affirms its initial notice to the NRC and its earlier notice to the PJM Interconnection. The plant closures are subject to review by PJM for any reliability impact and will affect about 2,300 plant employees. FES announced March 28 plans to close the plants, unless they can be sold or legislation in Ohio or Pennsylvania emerges that offers financial assistance.
FirstEnergy Solutions plans to retire the Davis-Besse Nuclear power station in Oak Harbor, Ohio, by May 31, 2020; the Beaver Valley unit 1 in Shippingport, Pa., and the Perry nuclear power plant by May 31, 2021; and the Beaver Valley unit 2 by Oct. 31, 2021. These nuclear units contributed approximately 65% of the electricity produced by the FirstEnergy Solutions generating fleet in 2017.
"As early as mid-2019, we will begin facing decisions on each of these plants as to whether to refuel them or shut them down. Absent legislative or regulatory relief, we cannot continue to operate the plants on their current uneconomic basis," said Don Moul, president of FES Generation Companies and chief nuclear officer.
FirstEnergy Solutions, its subsidiaries and FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring in March 31. Prior to the bankruptcy filing, the FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiaries asked the U.S. Department of Energy to issue an emergency order requiring PJM to compensate at-risk coal and nuclear plants.
