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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RetiredNow who wrote (315381)	12/13/2006 9:48:30 AM
From: Road Walker	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1573433

Good news, looks like they are going to build a new nuke plant in Florida... Progress eyeing Florida site for new nuclear plant Triangle Business Journal - 3:46 PM EST Tuesday Increased demand for electricity in Florida has prompted Progress Energy to consider more closely the option of building a new nuclear power plant there. The Raleigh-based utility company on Tuesday named a site southwest of Gainesville, Fla., in southern Levy County as the preferred location for construction of a new nuclear power plant. The site, approximately 3,000 acres, is located nearly seven miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico and eight miles north of the company's Crystal River Energy Complex in Citrus County, Fla., where Progress Energy operates a nuclear plant, as well as four coal-fueled units. The Levy County location was chosen based on an assessment of major criteria, such as land, access to sufficient quantities of water (from the Gulf) and access to the electric transmission system, as well as an overall evaluation of environmental considerations. The proximity of the site to the company's existing nuclear plant also would provide opportunities for efficiencies in shared support functions, the company said. In the coming months, the potential site will undergo further detailed assessment. Demand for electricity is expected to grow by 25 percent over the next decade and the selection of another power plant site is the first step to boosting supply capability, the company said. "The site selection is not a decision to build a nuclear plant. That decision won't be made for a year or longer," said Jeff Lyash, president and chief executive officer of Progress Energy Florida, in a release. "But it is a critical step in ensuring that nuclear power remains open and viable for future years." Even with an emphasis on increased energy efficiency initiatives and renewable energy sources, Florida will still need additional power plants, Lyash said. Over the last two decades, more than 600,000 homes and businesses have been added to Progress Energy's system in Florida - most of which are larger homes with greater energy appetites. While other types of power plants have been added in recent years (particularly natural gas-fueled plants) the significant customer and energy-usage growth have prompted the need for adding what's known as "baseload generation." Baseload power plants are considered must-run facilities that operate 24 hours. Nuclear and coal-fueled power plants are the most economical forms of baseload generation. Progress Energy has informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of its intent to apply for a license for a nuclear plant. The licensing process, once completed, allows for construction and operation of units on a specific site; it does not mean a nuclear plant will be built. The final decision on building another nuclear reactor or other baseload unit will be based on many factors, including regulatory approval and forecasts for energy demand and economic conditions later this decade, the company said. St. Petersburg-based Progress Energy Florida is a subsidiary of Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN). Progress Energy is a diversified energy company with more than 23,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $10 billion in annual revenue.