TVA’s Bellefonte Site Selected by National Nuclear Consortium
September 22, 2005
HOLLYWOOD, Ala. – NuStart Energy Development LLC announced today that it has selected TVA’s Bellefonte Nuclear Plant as one of the two best sites in the country for a new nuclear plant and that it will seek a combined construction and operating license for the site.
NuStart, the nation’s largest consortium of nuclear power companies, selected Bellefonte after a rigorous evaluation process involving nuclear plant sites across the country. NuStart will do the design and engineering work necessary to apply for a combined construction and operating license with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
“The Bellefonte site is a superior choice for a new nuclear plant because of the existing infrastructure and its ideal location that supports partnering opportunities with other NuStart utilities,” said TVA Chairman Bill Baxter. ”We appreciate the strong support for Bellefonte from Senator Jeff Sessions, Congressman Bud Cramer, and other members of Congress, the state of Alabama and the entire north Alabama community. We look forward to working with NuStart partners in pursuing a license from the NRC as the next step in this process.”
NuStart would seek a license at Bellefonte for the new Advanced Passive 1000 reactor design by Westinghouse.
“TVA’s primary nuclear focus today remains the restart of Browns Ferry Unit 1, but serious efforts are also being directed toward the exploration of future nuclear power as well as other forms of power generation,” said TVA Director Skila Harris. “The final decision on future power generation will depend on the projected demand in the Tennessee Valley and a careful analysis of the most cost-effective, efficient and smartest addition to TVA’s generation mix.”
NuStart also announced the selection of Entergy’s Grand Gulf nuclear plant site in Mississippi as the site to pursue a license for the new Economic Simplified Boiling Water reactor design by General Electric. NuStart estimates design work for each of the two sites will cost about $400 million. This first-of-a kind engineering has never been done because no utility has ordered a new nuclear plant in three decades.
According to NuStart’s proposal, the Department of Energy would pay 50 percent of the cost to develop the combined construction and operating license and complete the detailed engineering design as part of the government’s efforts to encourage nuclear investment. NuStart would pay the remaining costs. Pending NRC approval for a combined license, any NuStart member company or group of companies could use the NuStart license to build a reactor on the Bellefonte site. TVA prefers to have a partner or partners participate in any new plant.
“TVA projects a need in the Tennessee Valley for new baseload generation around 2015, and nuclear power provides a clean, reliable and efficient source of power to meet our customers’ demands,” said TVA President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Kilgore. “While TVA has not yet committed to build a new nuclear plant at Bellefonte, the NuStart work to develop a combined construction and operating license will provide the information we need to make a decision.”
The NuStart Energy Development LLC consortium consists of 11 companies: Constellation Generation Group, Duke Energy, EDF International North America, Entergy Nuclear, Exelon Generation, Florida Power & Light Company, Progress Energy, Southern Company, TVA, and two nuclear reactor vendors, Westinghouse Electric and GE Energy’s nuclear operations.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financed. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.6 million consumers in seven southeastern states.
Media Contact
John Moulton, (865) 632-8048
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000
What Others Are Saying About NuStart’s Selection of Bellefonte
“I’m pleased that this rigorous selection process to determine the best nuclear sites in the country reinforces what the people of Jackson County and North Alabama have known for some time – TVA’s Bellefonte site is an ideal location for a nuclear plant. As we are faced with greater energy demands and more complex environmental challenges, we must pursue the nuclear power option in this country, and Bellefonte can become the proving ground for a new generation of nuclear technology to meet America’s needs.”
– U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions
“Selection of TVA’s Bellefonte Nuclear Plant as one of two sites for the possible construction of the first new nuclear plant in this country in 30 years is great news for the State of Alabama. We have worked with TVA and the local community to aggressively pursue this project and the economic investment and jobs it can bring to our state. If this plant becomes a reality, it would not only be a huge plus for the local economy, but it would also provide a source of secure, reliable energy for our nation.”
– Alabama Governor Bob Riley
“The people of Jackson County and North Alabama deserve to have a fully operational facility at Bellefonte. Our community has worked for many years to position Bellefonte for a bright future, and I’m pleased that NuStart selected it today. The work that has already been completed and the strong support from our community and the State of Alabama give Bellefonte an advantage over other sites.”
– U.S. Congressman Bud Cramer
“Our community wholeheartedly supports nuclear energy and has been waiting patiently for many years for a nuclear plant to be finished at Bellefonte. We appreciate that TVA continues to pursue all the options for building a generating plant at the site. We’ve had good news before, but this time we hope it will mean completion of the plant, which would be a giant boost for the economy of Jackson County. “
– Dus Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jackson County Economic Development Agency