UK Nuclear Output Slumps to 42-Year Low in Threat to Net Zero

Power output from the UK’s nuclear power plants slumped to the lowest in more than four decades last year, potentially increasing a reliance on fossil fuels that will make it more difficult to reach the nation’s net zero emissions target.

Output shrank to about 37 terawatt-hours after two stations closed, dropping below 40 terawatt-hours for the first time since the early 1980s, according to data from the government and the UK unit of Electricite de France SA. With the country’s current fleet of five nuclear plants scheduled to shrink to just three by the end of 2026, Britain needs ...