December 20, 2006 |
2006-R-0800 | |
OUT OF STATE POWER SALES AND NUCLEAR POWER | ||
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By: Kevin E. McCarthy, Principal Analyst | ||
You asked whether (1) any Connecticut utilities sell power out of state and (2) there are any proposals in the U. S. to build new nuclear plants.
As a result of the law restructuring the electric industry, neither Connecticut Light & Power nor United Illuminating currently own any power plants on generate any power. Instead they buy power from various wholesalers on the New England market. Several of the state's municipal utilities (which collectively serve about 6% of the state's population) do own power plants, but they generally do not sell power out of state.
Table 1 presents information about nuclear plants that have been proposed for construction, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute, a trade group. Most of the proposed plants would be located in the southeast and most would be built at the sites of existing nuclear plants. In a number of cases, the plant developer is proposing to build two or more units at a single plant site, with units ranging from 1,175 to 1,600 megawatts (MW).
Under federal law, nuclear plant developers can seek an early site permit, which allows them to bank a site approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a nuclear power plant for up to 20 years. If a firm uses a NRC approved standard design, it can seek a combined construction and operating license (COL). Further information about proposed new plants and their technologies is available at http: //www. nuclearalliance. net/index. asp?catnum=2&catid=344.
Table 1: Proposed New Nuclear Power Plants
Company |
Site |
Early Site Permit |
# of Units, Size of Units (MW) |
Construction/ Operating License Application Date |
Dominion |
North Anna, VA |
Under review, approval expected 2007 |
1, 1,500 |
November 2007 |
TVA |
Bellefonte, AL |
Not applicable |
2, 1,175 |
October 2007 |
Entergy |
Grand Gulf, MS |
Under review, approval expected 2007 |
1, 1,500 |
November 2007 |
Entergy |
River Bend, LA |
Not applicable |
1, 1,500 |
May 2008 |
Southern Company |
Vogtle, GA |
Under review, approval expected early 2009 |
2, 1,175 |
March 2008 |
Progress Energy |
Harris, NC |
Not applicable |
2, 1,175 |
October 2007 |
Progress Energy |
Levy County, FL |
Not applicable |
2, Not yet determined |
July 2008 |
South Carolina Electric & Gas |
Summer, SC |
Not applicable |
2, 1,175 |
October 2007 |
Duke |
William States Lee, SC |
Not applicable |
2, 1,175 |
October 2007 |
Exelon |
Clinton, IL |
Under review, approval expected 2007 |
Not yet determined |
Not yet determined |
Exelon |
Texas City to be determined |
Not applicable |
Not yet determined |
2008 |
Constellation (UniStar) |
Calvert Cliffs and Nine Mile Point, MD, possibly other sites |
Will go to COL but submitting siting information early |
Up to 5, 1,600 |
4th quarter 2007
|
Florida Power & Light |
Not yet determined, FL |
Not applicable |
Not yet determined |
Not yet determined |
Duke |
Davie County, NC |
Under consideration |
Not yet determined |
Not yet determined |
Duke |
Oconee County, SC |
Under consideration |
Not yet determined |
Not yet determined |
NRG Energy |
South Texas Project |
Not applicable |
2, 1,350 |
Latter part of 2007 |
Amarillo Power |
Near Amarillo, TX |
Under development, to be submitted 4th quarter 2007 |
2, 1,350 |
As soon as practicable after 2007 |
Texas Utilities |
Not yet determined, TX |
Not applicable |
Not yet determined |
2008 |
Source: Nuclear Energy Institute
KM: ts