The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection paved the way for nuclear power to compete in the auction this summer, after fierce pushes from lawmakers and repeated warnings from Dominion that Millstone faced premature closure largely because the wholesale market is dominated by cheaper natural gas. Millstone remains considerably profitable, according to public data, but Dominion says it filed confidential financial data with PURA to prove the plant could not survive without the zero-carbon auction. Analysis by state regulators showed a premature Millstone closure would lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions, heavy job losses and state and local economic impacts, and less reliability in the energy grid.
https://www.theday.com/article/20180918/NWS01/180919375