Uncertainty in Estimating Power-Plant Closure Costs: A Review of "Economic Impact of Closing Zion Nuclear Facility," a Report by the Comptroller General of the United States
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Comparing the Government Accounting Office's estimates of the costs that could result from the closure of Zion and Indian Point reveals the large range of uncertainty currently associated with such estimates and suggests a number of areas requiring further study. Better and more detailed information on alternative generating costs, decommissioning costs, incremental financing costs, and secondary costs in general needs to be developed and documented. And the groups or institutions who will ultimately bear these costs need to be identified. Uncertainties in all these areas must be reduced, and common costing methods and assumptions adopted, before intelligent decisions can be made regarding the future of any of the nuclear generating facilities (either operational or under construction) that are currently being questioned.
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