In addition to cutting carbon emissions, renewable energy has the unique ability to repurpose sites where fossil fuels were once extracted and consumed.

For example, nuclear power and coal-fired generation have developed a unique connection. According to a March 2024 report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as more coal-burning power plants go offline, nuclear power could help fill the void, both in terms of generating capacity and the repurposing of physical sites.

The DOE cites projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) that nearly 30% of the nation’s coal-fired power plants will retire by 2035. Nuclear power is a logical replacement, and many facilities could be sited at the same locations where the coal plants are being decommissioned.

These are not new assertions. The DOE previously noted in a 2022 study that coal-fired plants are ideal for repurposing as nuclear facilities. The study found that more than 300 existing and retired coal power plant sites are suitable to host advanced nuclear power plants.

The idea appears to be catching on. In addition, according to the DOE, nearly a dozen states have expressed varying degrees of interest in repurposing coal sites with nuclear energy. The list includes Wyoming, Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Interest varies from state to state and comes from different stakeholders, including state and local governments, transition planning groups, economic development agencies and community members.

The DOE adds that repurposing coal sites with nuclear power has many positives, including the preservation and creation of jobs, economic growth in host communities, reduced emissions, reduced construction costs and other benefits.

To help more states with this transition, the DOE published this month its Stakeholder Guidebook for Coal-to-Nuclear Conversions. The booklet provides community stakeholders and electric utilities with technical information related to the so-called coal-to-nuclear transition.