Premature Nuclear Reactor Retirements Could Affect Nuclear Waste Disposal Since 2012, 12 commercial reactors have shut down in the U.S., with 27 more planned by 2026, a loss of at least 37,000 MW of capacity and about 5 trillion kWhs from their expected life. The effects may be profound, from a loss of $8 billion in NWFund revenues to the orphaning of their nuclear waste.