Nuclear’s contribution to the economy and environment

The Brattle Group has evaluated the contributions of financially threatened nuclear plants in several states – New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio – to the economies of those states, as well as their environmental impact, both local and regional, in terms of carbon and other pollutants. These studies used power sector simulation models in combination with dynamic input-output modeling of the states’ economies, and often found that the primary economic effect of nuclear plants was that they keep power prices lower than they would otherwise be. This reduces what consumers pay for all their electricity, not just the nuclear output itself. These savings, because they are significant and widespread, give a substantial boost to the state economy overall through multiplier effects on disposable income and employment. An earlier report looked at the effect of the entire U.S. nuclear industry on the national economy.