Development of New Nuclear Generation on the Increase

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). NuStart Energy Development LLC (Kenneth Square, Pennsylvania), a consortium of nuclear power companies, announced in September 2005 that it selected Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station (Port Gibson, Mississippi) and Bellefonte Nuclear Power Station (Scottsboro, Alabama) as the sites for new nuclear power plants. Tennessee Valley Authority plans to restart Browns Ferry Nuclear Station (Decatur, Alabama). Bruce Power LP’s (Tiverton, Ontario) is also restarting Bruce A Nuclear Station’s Units #1 and #2. These projects are signaling that nuclear power is making a comeback.

There are 103 operating nuclear facilities in the United States. Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (Spring City, Tennessee) was the last plant that came online in 1996. Only Unit #1 became operational. Construction on Unit #2 had stopped because of the reduction in power demand.

Nuclear power is an industry that has had trouble with public opinion ever since the most serious accident at a power plant in U.S. history happened at Three Mile Island Nuclear Station (Middletown, Pennsylvania) on Unit #2 in March 1979. The partial meltdown of the reactor core caused no death or injuries, but shattered confidence and placed a long-term chill on the industry. Then in April 1986, the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant in the Ukraine, left the public fearful over nuclear facilities.

In the 80’s and 90’s, the U.S nuclear industry was presumed dead. However, with doubts about fossil fuel supply, roller coaster fossil fuel prices, recent hurricane damage to power plants and refineries in Louisiana and Texas, and strict emission control regulations, nuclear power has risen as one of the only viable alternative energy choices.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has corrected problems, such as lengthy relicensing and uprate permitting by reducing the time it takes to conduct these procedures.

With scrutinizing concern over global warming, the Bush administration views nuclear power as a way to cut emissions of greenhouse gases. In June 2005, Mr. Bush visited the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Station (Lusby, Maryland) and declared that "nuclear energy is completely domestic, plentiful in quantity, environmental friendly, and able to generate massive amount of electricity."

Despite all the evidence in scientific news and political circles, nuclear power remains controversial surrounding the answers to safety, economics and storage of radioactive waste. There’s an above ground storage facility at the Savannah River Site (Aiken, South Carolina), but there are some 50,000 tons of nuclear waste waiting to be disposed, while a political war over the plans for a permanent repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada remain unsolved.

In the meantime, NuStart is working on the details of the newly planned reactors. A General Electric Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor will be utilized at the Grand Gulf Plant, and a Westinghouse Advanced Passive 100 will be used at the Bellefonte Plant.

NuStart Energy was formed in 2004 with the participation of Constellation Energy Group (NYSE:CEG) (Baltimore, Maryland, Duke Energy Group (NYSE:DUK) (Charlotte, North Carolina), EDF International North America, Incorporated (W.D.C) (EDF-INA), Entergy Nuclear (NYSE:ETR) (Jackson, Mississippi), Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC) (Chicago, Illinois), FPL Group (NYSE:FPL) (Juno Beach, Florida), Progress Energy (NYSE:PGN) (Raleigh, North Carolina), Southern Company (NYSE:SO) (Atlanta, Georgia), GE Energy (NYSE:GE) (Atlanta, Georgia), plus Westinghouse Electric Company (Pittsburg, Pennsylvania).

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