The Technical Assistance for Nuclear Communities program, convened by Smart Growth America, helps communities plan for a more resilient future when their plant is no longer operating. Our team supports a host community’s journey toward a diverse and prosperous economic future through a wide range of capacity-building resources. These services are provided at no cost to a host community.

Nearly 30 nuclear power sites have been or are currently being decommissioned. Between five and ten additional plants could close within the next five years. Although the technical aspects of nuclear decommissioning mostly fall on the Department of Energy (DOE), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and other agencies working on energy, the EDA has been taking notice of the severe socioeconomic impacts that decommissioning brings to host communities. A team of organizations have partnered with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to provide support to nuclear host communities that have been economically impacted by the presence of a nuclear power plant.

Aside from the economic shock that can occur as a result of decommissioning, there can be social and community impacts as well as issues related to safety, maintaining the nuclear site itself while managing nuclear waste. Long-term management of a nuclear power plant is often beyond the scope and capacity of the small towns that host them, leaving them without support for when the plant inevitably closes. There are currently no systems in place to help them plan for economic recovery and resilience. The Technical Assistance for Nuclear Communities Team aims to fill that gap, and the EDA may have additional financial resources to help communities adjust. 

Contact our team today and learn how we can assist with: 

• Evaluating the economic impacts of a nuclear power plant;
• Exploring the assets in your community and identify projects to build on your strengths;
• Making connections to federal funding opportunities;
• Engaging stakeholders in community visioning;
• Providing support on a range of redevelopment topics, and more
  

Learn more about our technical assistance program here

Questions?

Do you have questions about the Nuclear Communities technical assistance program and what’s available or want to let us know what’s happening in your community? Reach out to us at [email protected].