Dominion Resources is evaluating Surry and North Anna as potential sites for possible future additions of nuclear baseload generating capacity, making it the third US utility to officially announce plans considering new nuclear plant construction.
Both sites were orginally planned to accommodate four reactors. Surry 3 and 4, both 882MWe PWRs, were cancelled in 1977. North Anna 3 and 4, planned 907MWe PWRs, were cancelled in 1982 and 1980 respectively. All four cancelled units had been issued with construction permits.
Exelon was the first US utility to express interest in new construction, and has invested in pebble bed technology as part of an international consortium in South Africa.
Dominion Resources said it will make a decision whether to proceed with an application for an early site permit at one of the sites by the end of the year. Dominion Resources also said that it will also be evaluating other sites and technologies.
•The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is looking at completing its two Bellefonte PWR units, respectively 80% and 60% built. Construction of the 1213MWe reactors began in 1974 but was suspended in 1988 due to rising costs and falling demand. The cost of completion is estimated to be $2.5 billion. Recent plans to convert them to gas have been abandoned as a result of high gas prices.
TVA is also considering a proposal by investor group Nuclear Leasing to finance $1.3 billion for the restart of Browns Ferry 1. All three Browns Ferry units were shut down in the mid-1980s, but units 2 and 3 have since been restarted.
Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) is pushing TVA to sell or complete Bellefonte, and restart Browns Ferry 1, partly because it will create jobs in the rural Hollywood area.
In addition to the Bellefonte and Browns Ferry assets, TVA has another partially completed unit at its Watts Bar station.
•Entergy has annouced that it is currently evaluating opportunities for nuclear expansion. The company is conducting a feasibility study and says that it will make a decision by June 2002 on which two sites it will choose to develop early site permit applications. Entergy is concentrating on its southern sites – Arkansas Nuclear One, Grand Gulf, River Bend and Waterford.
