TVA To Evaluate Completing Watts Bar Unit 2
July 28, 2006
The TVA Board today authorized a comprehensive evaluation of the cost and schedule for completing the second unit at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant to determine if it is a viable option to meet future power demand.
The Board approved a recommendation from the Operations, Environment and Safety Committee to begin a Detailed Scoping, Estimating and Planning study for Watts Bar Unit 2, similar to a study TVA did on Unit 1 at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant.
The Board approved the study along with the 2007 fiscal year budget, which includes $20 million to begin the study, at a meeting in Knoxville, Tenn.
“Power demand in the region is growing at a rate of about 2 percent a year, so we must begin now to evaluate all available options to meet this demand,” said TVA President and Acting Chief Executive Officer Tom Kilgore. “This comprehensive study will provide valuable information to help the Board make a decision on how best to meet the future electricity needs of the Tennessee Valley.”
No decision has been made to build any new generating plant beyond the restart of Browns Ferry Unit 1, which is expected to supply an additional 1,280 megawatts of power beginning in May 2007.
TVA will continue to explore the option of building a new nuclear plant at its Bellefonte site in North Alabama. TVA is a member of the NuStart Energy Development consortium, which is doing preliminary work required to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a combined construction and operating license at Bellefonte. The earliest construction could be completed on a new unit at Bellefonte is 2016.
TVA also will continue to evaluate other forms of new generation, including clean- coal technologies and natural-gas fired units.
TVA stopped construction of Watts Bar Unit 2 in 1985. The detailed study will provide a rigorous evaluation of the engineering work, cost and timetable required to complete Unit 2, as well as the risks involved. Watts Bar Unit 1 began commercial operation in 1996, and it is providing 1,160 megawatts to the TVA power system.
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant is located on the Tennessee River near Spring City, Tenn. TVA also operates two nuclear units at Browns Ferry near Athens, Ala., and two units at Sequoyah Nuclear Plant in Soddy Daisy, Tenn.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financed with revenues of $7.8 billion in 2005. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.6 million consumers in seven southeastern states. TVA also manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits, including flood damage reduction, navigation, water quality and recreation
Media Contact
John Moulton, Knoxville, (865) 632-8048
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000
