Massachusetts’ Last Nuclear Reactor Shuts Down

The shutdown of Massachusetts’ last nuclear power plant signals a new era with a stronger reliance on renewable energy, officials say.

Entergy Inc.’s Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, in Plymouth, Mass., was scheduled to shut down during a five-hour process during the afternoon of May 31. The plant has operated for 47 years, and recently had added 680 megawatts of energy to the electricity grid.

But that power will easily be replaced with a combination of carbon fuels and renewables coming online, the Independent System Operator of New England (ISO-NE), the body that oversees the power grid ...