Florida Power & Light has announced plans to submit a formal application to build a new nuclear plant in Florida, probably in 2009.
A site is expected to be chosen in the next three years, possibly near the existing Turkey Point nuclear station in South Dade, south of Miami. The utility plans to file an application with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, but siting, licencing and construction could take approximately 12 years, it says.
In a statement, the company said: “Neither a site nor a specific reactor technology has been selected at this time. While new nuclear power resources would help to balance the company's generation mix and to ensure reliability and greater price stability for customers, a decision to move forward would need to be based on a number of factors such as regulatory climate, financial market conditions and competing fuel technology costs. A decision to build is not expected for several years.”
