NRC Advisers Back Westinghouse Reactor, the Kind Proposed for Levy
ATLANTA – A federal advisory panel announced Tuesday that a nuclear reactor slated for use across the Southeast -- including the Progress Energy plants planned for Levy County -- is reasonably safe, a step forward for utility firms hoping to build a new wave of nuclear power plants.
The nonbinding findings from the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards came after its assessment of the Westinghouse Electric Co.'s AP1000 reactor, which utility companies have selected to power as many as seven proposed nuclear plants in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Officials at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will consider the advisory panel's report before deciding whether to approve the latest design of the AP1000, a decision expected sometime next year.
"We conclude that there is reasonable assurance that the revised design can be built and operated without undue risk to the health and safety of the public," Said Abdel-Khalik, chairman of the advisory group, said in a letter.
Abdel-Khalik said the findings were contingent on other reviews evaluating whether the reactor can safely withstand the crash of a large jetliner and separate long-term cooling issues.
If approved, Westinghouse Electric's reactor could produce electricity at a new fleet of nuclear plants. Utility firms argue nuclear plants provide power without burning fossil fuels, although detractors question whether the plants can be built economically and safely.
The industry ground to a near-halt in the 1970s because of a dismal economy, reduced electricity needs and opposition following an infamous accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. Federal officials have not issued a permit to break ground on a new plant since 1978.
Major utilities want to reverse the trend.
The Atlanta-based Southern Co. and its partners are seeking to build two AP1000 reactors at Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro. President Barack Obama's administration has offered the company roughly $8 billion in federal loan guarantees to help finance the $14 billion project.
Southern Co. officials expect the NRC will rule on the AP1000 design next year, setting the stage for a final decision on the Plant Vogtle expansion in the fall or winter. Power plant permits cannot be issued until the reactors powering them are certified as safe.
"To us, it's a positive sign," said Carrie Phillips, a Southern Co. spokeswoman. "It clears the path so the process going forward isn't going to be impacted by the design certification."
Federal regulators approved an earlier version of the AP1000, but it was never constructed in the United States. Rival designs such as GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's ABWR and the ESBWR, Areva's EPR and the US-APWR from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are also being considered for use.
Besides Georgia, Westinghouse has contracts to build its reactors in Levy County and Fairfield County, S.C. Utility firms in Alabama and North Carolina earlier submitted applications to the NRC seeking to use the same technology. Four AP1000 reactors are under construction in China.
Members of NuStart Energy consortium are:
DTE Energy, Detroit, MI, Duke Energy, Charlotte, NC, EDF International North America, Washington, D.C., Entergy Nuclear, Jackson, MS, Exelon Generation, Philadelphia, PA, Florida Power & Light Company, Juno Beach, FL, Progress Energy, Raleigh, NC, South Carolina Electric & Gas, Columbia, SC, Southern Company, Atlanta, GA, Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, TN, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Wilmington, NC, Westinghouse Electric Co., Pittsburgh, PA
Fertel: New Nuclear Plants Essential to Pennsylvania’s Future
If we are going to seize the opportunity to harness U.S. potential in clean energy and become less dependent on foreign oil, we must build more nuclear power plants.
Few people realize there are more than 16,000 facilities across America that generate the electricity we need each day. Although just 104 of those facilities are nuclear power plants, they produce 20 percent of our nation's electricity, and more than one-third of Pennsylvania's power.
Independent organizations, including the National Academies of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), all agree that nuclear energy must be aggressively expanded over the next few decades.
Pennsylvania and the nation need this expansion for three reasons: replacing existing nuclear plants that eventually will close, meeting growing demand for electricity and expanding a low-carbon energy portfolio.
By 2050, virtually all of the nuclear plants operating today, including nine in Pennsylvania, are scheduled to close after operating for 60 years. Because nuclear plants generate continuous electricity, intermittent power generators such as wind and solar cannot replace them. More than 70 new nuclear plants will be needed to replace existing reactors, but those will not address growing demand for electricity or replacing other facilities on an electricity grid that is increasingly high-tech.
Although the recession has slowed demand for electricity in some regions, nationally, demand continues to grow. Even with energy conservation and efficiency measures, the Energy Information Administration predicts a 28 percent growth in electricity demand by 2035 due to population growth and an ever-increasing reliance on electronic devices. To maintain nuclear energy's 20 percent share of U.S. electricity production while reducing air pollution, two-dozen more nuclear plants will be needed.
Building new nuclear energy facilities cannot solve our energy and environmental challenges alone, but they will be an important part of a balanced solution. A single reactor can replace seven fossil-fueled power plants that burn 5.7 million tons of coal a year and emit 11 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. One reactor can replace 19 typical natural gas plants that burn 86 billion cubic feet of natural gas a year and pump another 5.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere.
And as we begin to consider plug-in electric vehicles as an option to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, one reactor charges more than 5 million all-electric cars each day, helping zero-carbon transportation become a reality and improving our nation's energy security.
The economic benefits of building a new generation of nuclear plants are massive. More than a trillion dollars in parts and labor would come chiefly from U.S. sources. Hundreds of thousands of jobs would be needed for plant construction. Tens of thousands of well-paying, nonexportable positions would be needed to operate the facilities. Billions of dollars of materials, goods and services would be required each year to support their operations. Ongoing plant and employee expenditures and taxes would benefit the local, state and the nation's economies for generations.
Pennsylvania's economy already benefits significantly from the nuclear energy enterprise. More than $1.8 billion in materials, goods and services were procured from more than 4,000 companies in the state in 2009.
In addition, each of the state's reactors produces approximately $430 million annually in economic impact in the surrounding communities.
Expansion of nuclear energy is essential to protect the environment and to meet our nation's energy needs in the years ahead. The environmental, economic and energy security benefits that a new generation of nuclear facilities would bring is a tremendous opportunity for Pennsylvania and the nation.
MARVIN FERTEL is president and chief executive at the Nuclear Energy Institute, the policy organization for the nuclear technologies industry.
Members of NuStart Energy consortium are:
DTE Energy, Detroit, MI, Duke Energy, Charlotte, NC, EDF International North America, Washington, D.C., Entergy Nuclear, Jackson, MS, Exelon Generation, Philadelphia, PA, Florida Power & Light Company, Juno Beach, FL, Progress Energy, Raleigh, NC, South Carolina Electric & Gas, Columbia, SC, Southern Company, Atlanta, GA, Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, TN, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Wilmington, NC, Westinghouse Electric Co., Pittsburgh, PA