Florida Commission Supports Proposed New Greenfield Site Units
Written by NucNet
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
16 Jul (NucNet): The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) has
approved the proposed construction of two AP1000 reactor units on a
greenfield site in the Florida's southern Levy County.
The PSC, which announced its decision yesterday, said approval did not represent a decision to build the plant. However, Progress Energy Florida expects to take a final decision on whether to build by early 2009.
The president and chief executive officer of Progress Energy Florida Jeff Lyash said: "Carbon-free nuclear power is a strategic asset in our state-wide effort to become energy-independent, to reduce our reliance on more volatile-priced fossil fuels, and to provide a balanced approach to meet the challenges of growth and climate change."
The company's application to build was submitted to the PSC in March 2008. If eventually built, the units would be among the first in the country to be constructed on a greenfield site in more than 30 years.
Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Progress Energy, said the next steps to be taken at state and federal levels, expected later this summer, include the filing for cost recovery with the PSC and the filing of a combined licence application (COL) with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
If plans continue to move forward and are approved by state and federal regulators, the two new advanced-technology reactors could begin operating in 2016 and 2017 respectively, the company said.
- by John Shepherd
Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Progress Energy Chooses Florida Site For Possible New-Build (News No. 264, 13 December 2006)
Application Process Starts To Build Florida Units On Greenfield Site (News in Brief No. 29, 12 March 2008)
Proposed Florida Greenfield Units Take Next Step Forward (News in Brief No. 42, 8 April 2008)
