截至2015年，美國大約有6300臺40歲或40歲以上的發(fā)電機(jī)組在運行。這些發(fā)電機(jī)組的發(fā)電能力約為350兆瓦，約占全國總發(fā)電量的三分之一。在未來的幾年和幾十年里，這些發(fā)電廠的許多舊機(jī)組將退役，這對電力市場、投資者和發(fā)電廠運營的社區(qū)都有重要影響。1與此同時，隨著天然氣、風(fēng)能和太陽能發(fā)電廠數(shù)量的快速增長，發(fā)電機(jī)組也在發(fā)生變化。對于風(fēng)能和太陽能設(shè)施，大多數(shù)公用事業(yè)、監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)和社區(qū)幾乎沒有退役公用事業(yè)規(guī)模設(shè)施的經(jīng)驗。盡管這些設(shè)施中的大多數(shù)將在未來幾十年內(nèi)運行，但了解與停用新發(fā)電相關(guān)的關(guān)鍵問題有助于減輕對納稅人、投資者和社區(qū)的任何負(fù)面影響。一旦機(jī)組退役，電廠業(yè)主將面臨如何重新調(diào)整每個站點用途的選擇。本報告探討了業(yè)主決定停用單個機(jī)組或整個電廠時出現(xiàn)的關(guān)鍵問題，包括：電廠業(yè)主面臨哪些選擇？什么樣的政策和市場激勵會影響每一種選擇，各州之間又有什么不同？退役的費用是多少，誰來承擔(dān)？退役發(fā)電廠對當(dāng)?shù)亟?jīng)濟(jì)和財政有何影響？

由于豐富的文獻(xiàn)存在著與核電站和常規(guī)水電站相關(guān)的退役問題，這些來源被排除在這一分析之外。相反，它關(guān)注的是那些最近經(jīng)歷過大規(guī)模退役（煤炭、石油和天然氣）的人，以及那些目前正在廣泛部署（風(fēng)能和太陽能）并將在未來幾十年面臨退役的人

As of 2015, roughly 6,300 electric generating units aged 40 years or older were operating in the United States. These units represent roughly 350 gigawatts (GW) of electric generating capacity, or approximately one-third of the nation’s total generating capacity. In the coming years and decades, many of the older units at these plants will retire, with important implications for electricity markets, investors, and communities where plants operate.1  At the same time, the generating fleet is changing, as the number of natural gas, wind, and solar plants grows rapidly. For wind and solar facilities, most utilities, regulators, and communities have virtually no experience decommissioning utility-scale installations. Although most of these facilities will operate for decades to come, understanding the key issues associated with decommissioning new power generation can help mitigate any negative impacts for ratepayers, investors, and communities.  Once units retire, plant owners are faced with choices over how to repurpose each site. This report examines key issues that arise when owners decide to decommission an individual unit or an entire plant, including the following: What choices do plant owners face? What policies and market incentives affect each option, and how do they vary across states? What are the costs of decommissioning, and who bears them? What are the local economic and fiscal implications of decommissioning power plants?

Because a rich literature exists examining decommissioning issues associated with nuclear and conventional hydroelectric plants, those sources are excluded from this analysis. Instead, it focuses on those that have recently experienced large-scale retirements (coal, petroleum, and natural gas), along with those that are currently seeing widespread deployment (wind and solar) and will face decommissioning in the decades to come