Record Nuclear Shutdowns Seen Boosting `Pummeled' Natural Gas
- Thirty-four nuclear units slated to close this spring: analyst
- Reactors refuel in spring and fall to minimize losses
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More U.S. nuclear reactors will close for refueling this spring than at any time in nearly two decades creating a power shortage that may lift beaten-down natural gas.
Operators plan to shut 34 reactors, or more than a third of nuclear generating capacity, to replace fuel rods from March through May, according to Michael Rennhack, president and chief executive officer of www.NukeWorker.com, a website that advertises jobs in the sector. That would be the most for the time of year in data going back to 2000, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and projections from Rennhack.