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U.S. Coal-fired Generating Capacity Retirements in 2025 Are Less Than 20 Percent of Retirements in 2022

LCG, April 13, 2026--The EIA today released an "In-brief Analysis" of U.S. coal-fired generating capacity retirements in 2025. A highlight of the analysis is that, during 2025, the electric power sector retired 2.6 GW of coal-fired generating capacity at four power plants, which is (i) the least since 2010 and (ii) 5.9 GW less than the planned retirement of 8.5 GW at the beginning of 2025.

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EPA Proposes Rule Changes to Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Requirements to Restore American Energy Dominance

LCG, April 10, 2026--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced yesterday a rule proposing several revisions to the federal regulations governing the disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) and the beneficial use of CCR. The EPA designed the rule to encourage resource recovery, allow for site-specific considerations in permitting, and provide regulatory relief while continuing to protect human health and the environment. The EPA will be accepting comments on the rule for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, and it will also hold an online public hearing on the rule.

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Industry News

OPPD to Close Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station on October 24

LCG, September 1, 2016--The Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) last Friday formally submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that operations at the 478-MW Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station will end on October 24. The OPPD Board of Directors voted June 16 to close the plant by the end of the year.

An OPPD spokesperson stated, "Last week's letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with the Oct. 24 date formalized our commitment to cease operations at Fort Calhoun Station by the end of the year. Today, we are focused on the continued safe operation of the plant. Teams are developing more than 50 decommissioning project plans and benchmarking other decommissioning plants, in an effort to capitalize on lessons learned."

OPPD stated in May that the continued operation of Fort Calhoun Station is not in the long-term financial best interests of OPPD or its customer-owners and recommended to cease power generation at the facility by the end of this year.

OPPD sees the industry trend of slow revenue growth, market conditions and increasing regulatory and operational costs causing the early retirement of other U.S. nuclear generating stations as well. A recent example is Pacific Gas and Electric Company's announcement last June to close the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant when its operating licenses expire. Furthermore, the lack of regulatory support in the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan for existing nuclear units leaves little incentive to continue to invest in the carbon-free power plant. The Fort Calhoun Station, with a generating capacity of 478 MW, is the smallest rated unit in North America and lacks economies of scale.

OPPD's strategic directives, established by the Board a year ago, call for reducing rates to 20 percent below the regional average. Continued operations of the nuclear plant, with its high operating costs, would be challenging in this time of low natural gas prices and low wholesale power prices.

Fort Calhoun Station began generating power in 1973 and has since delivered over a third of OPPD's annual electric generation through March 2012.
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