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The document analyzes the economic pressures facing the US nuclear fleet, finding that over one-third of plants are unprofitable or scheduled to close. It warns that without carbon-reduction policies, these closures could increase power sector emissions by 4 to 6 percent as natural gas and coal fill the void. The report advocates for a national carbon price or a low-carbon electricity standard to maintain low-carbon generation and triple renewable energy by 2035, noting that the public health and economic benefits of such policies would outweigh the costs.

The Union of Concerned Scientists identifies a range of 153 to 353 coal-fired generating units in the U.S. that are economically uncompetitive and should be retired. These units, totaling up to 59 GW of capacity, are typically older, underutilized, and lack modern pollution controls. The report argues that retiring these units, alongside 288 already scheduled for closure, would not jeopardize grid reliability and could reduce annual CO2 emissions by 245 to 410 million tons if replaced by natural gas, renewables, or energy efficiency.