Dive Summary:

• The permanent closing of Southern California’s SONGS nuclear plant last Friday was the latest setback for the U.S. nuclear energy. While utilities continue to build new nuclear plants, many have been shelved.
• “The large up-front expense of building nuclear plants remains the biggest obstacle to the industry's renaissance. Natural gas plants tend to be smaller than nuclear facilities, producing less electricity per plant, but they can be built faster for far less money,” reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
• According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, companies have announced the closure this year of enough nuclear reactors to generate 3,554 megawatts of electricity. The nation's 65 nuclear plants are aging, and many utilities are putting proposed plans on hold due to emissions regulations, extensive regulatory processes and, ultimately, finances.

From the article:
“The costs are substantial. The two reactors being built in Georgia -- both at the existing Vogtle Electric Generating Plant -- are expected to cost roughly $14 billion. Much of that will be backed by the federal government. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded the project an $8.33 billion loan guarantee.”