[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-42734-en":3,"doc-seo-42734-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":21,"is_downloadable":21,"audit_status":21,"page_count":22,"language":23,"language_code":24,"site_id":25,"html_lang":24,"table_of_contents":26,"faqs":27,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},42734,13056703019662,"Evangeline","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/be000253a8e92610077?_k=1778726343310543188",8,"Research & Report","The Limited National Security Implications of Civilian Nuclear Decline","A declared exit from commercial nuclear power in the United States is highly unlikely, while a stealthy, gradual nuclear decline driven by economics appears more plausible. If such a slow withdrawal occurs, national security impacts would be smaller than often claimed: civilian nuclear energy ranks low for U.S. military energy security, weapons programs do not rely on the civilian nuclear sector, and the nuclear Navy has a reliable supply chain. Effects on nuclear export controls and nonproliferation would exist but would remain one tool among many.","Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists  \nIT IS 5 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT  \nFeature  \nThe limited national security implications of civilian nuclear decline  \nSharon Squassoni  \nBulletin of the Atomic Scientists 69(2) 22–33  \n! The Author(s) 2013  \nReprints and permissions:  \n[sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav](sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav)[ ](sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav)[DOI: 10.1177/0096340213477997](DOI: 10.1177/0096340213477997)  \n[http://thebulletin.sagepub.com](http://thebulletin.sagepub.com)  \nAbstract  \nA declared exit from commercial nuclear power in the United States is highly improbable. But a stealthy, gradual nuclear decline motivated by economics seems reasonably likely, as US utilities decide to close some plants early, rather than implement costly post-Fukushima safety regulations, and the number of new nuclear power plants fails to offset retirements. If nuclear power does make a slow exit, the national security implications are smaller than sometimes suggested. Nuclear energy is far down the list of options for enhancing the US militaryÕs energy security. Weapons programs arenÕt dependent on the civilian nuclear industry, and the nuclear Navy has a reliable supply chain. The United States has not needed to produce fissile material for weapons in decades, and although tritium for defense purposes is now produced in civilian reactors, there are other options for obtaining it. A nuclear phase-out could affect US nuclear export control and nonproliferation efforts, but export controls are only one tool among many that can be used to curb the desire for nuclear weapons. Even in a slow slide toward phase-out, the United States would remain at the global nuclear bargaining table for decades because of its status as a military nuclear superpower.  \nKeywords  \nKewaunee, national security, nuclear energy, nuclear exit, nuclear phase out, nuclear power, United States  \nLate in 2012, Dominion Resources,  \nInc. announced it would shutter the Kewaunee Power Station in Carlton, Wisconsin. Kewaunee had just received a license extension to operate until 2033 (Wald, 2012) . ÒThe situation Dominion faces at Kewaunee is the result of circumstances unique to the station and do not reflect the nuclear industry in general,Ó said Thomas Farrell, DominionÕs chief executive and chairman. ÒThe nation will be hard pressed to meet its energy needs,  \nlet alone do so in a secure and affordable manner, without a robust and growing nuclear energy programÓ (Dominion Resources, 2012) .  \nActually, Kewaunee may not be unique; it could be the first in a series of early retirements of aging US nuclear power plants. The fact that Dominion, with a $30 billion market capitalization, prefers to pay $281 million in decommissioning fees and other closing costs rather than operate the plant for another 20 years signals a generally grim  \neconomic outlook for nuclear energy in the United States.  \nA nuclear exit for the United StatesÑthe first country to commercialize nuclear power, and the country with the most nuclear energy capacity in the worldÑis almost inconceivable. Or is it? The US government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the last decade alone on programs and policies intended to jump-start a next generation of nuclear power plants. But those efforts havenÕt resulted in much new construction. Nuclear supporters have given many reasons for the lack of powerplant starts: The federal government doesnÕt have a comprehensive energy policy or system for putting a price on carbon dioxide emissions. Its loan guarantees and export support are insufficient. Nuclear regulation and licensing are inefficient and costly. And so on. But the real threat to both new and existing plants in the United States has been low natural gas prices coupled with stable or declining electricity demand. General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt puts it this way: ÒItÕs just hard to justify nuclear, really hard. Gas is so cheap, and at some point, really, ","cbCaiisnPNeveXjd","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiisnPNeveXjd","pdf",127906,4,1,12,"English","en",105,"# Abstract\n## Economic-driven decline vs. nuclear exit\n## Links to military energy security and weapons programs\n## Tritium supply options\n## Export controls and nonproliferation implications\n## Policy takeaway: continued leverage at the bargaining table","[{\"question\":\"Why is a declared U.S. exit from commercial nuclear power considered highly improbable?\",\"answer\":\"Because utilities face economic incentives to close plants early rather than implement expensive post-Fukushima safety regulations, yet new plant construction fails to offset retirements—suggesting gradual decline rather than a formal exit.\"},{\"question\":\"What national security impacts would a slow nuclear phase-out likely have?\",\"answer\":\"Impacts would be smaller than commonly suggested because nuclear energy plays a limited role in U.S. military energy security, weapons programs are not dependent on civilian nuclear industry, and the nuclear Navy has a dependable supply chain.\"},{\"question\":\"How could a nuclear phase-out affect U.S. export control and nonproliferation efforts?\",\"answer\":\"It could influence export control and nonproliferation work, but export controls are only one among multiple tools available to reduce incentives for nuclear weapons.\"}]",1783358941,30,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":25,"language":24,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":86,"head_meta":88,"extra_data":90,"updated_unix":28},"the-limited-national-security-implications-of-civilian-nuclear-decline","",{"@graph":36,"@context":85},[37,53,68],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":21},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-limited-national-security-implications-of-civilian-nuclear-decline/42734/",{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":54,"author":55,"headline":13,"publisher":57,"fileFormat":60,"inLanguage":24,"description":14,"dateModified":61,"datePublished":62,"encodingFormat":60,"isAccessibleForFree":63,"interactionStatistic":64},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":56},"Person",{"url":41,"name":58,"@type":59},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-07-21","2026-07-06",true,{"@type":65,"interactionType":66,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":67},"ViewAction",{"@type":69,"mainEntity":70},"FAQPage",[71,77,81],{"name":72,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":74},"Why is a declared U.S. exit from commercial nuclear power considered highly improbable?","Question",{"text":75,"@type":76},"Because utilities face economic incentives to close plants early rather than implement expensive post-Fukushima safety regulations, yet new plant construction fails to offset retirements—suggesting gradual decline rather than a formal exit.","Answer",{"name":78,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":79},"What national security impacts would a slow nuclear phase-out likely have?",{"text":80,"@type":76},"Impacts would be smaller than commonly suggested because nuclear energy plays a limited role in U.S. military energy security, weapons programs are not dependent on civilian nuclear industry, and the nuclear Navy has a dependable supply chain.",{"name":82,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":83},"How could a nuclear phase-out affect U.S. export control and nonproliferation efforts?",{"text":84,"@type":76},"It could influence export control and nonproliferation work, but export controls are 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