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| Thursday, September 2, 2010 |
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Decision delayed
Published March 17, 2010
The Tennessee Valley Authority is delaying its decision on the status of the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant near Scottsboro until later in the year.
The utility had been expected to make a recommendation to the TVA Board of Directors at its April 16 meeting in Knoxville, Tenn.
“It’s a big decision for TVA and our customers,” TVA spokesperson Terry Johnson told The Daily Sentinel in an interview Tuesday. “We want to have the most up-to-date information before a recommendation is made.”
The utility will maintain the facility in a deferred status while it continues evaluating information needed in the decision making process. TVA employees will continue the documentation process, perform quality assurance and provide security at the facility as it moves forward.
TVA is considering three options at the 1,600-acre site. They include completion of Unit 1, a Babcock and Wilcox reactor that is approximately 60 percent completed; construction of a new AP1000 Westinghouse made reactor or taking no further action at the present time.
“I want TVA to make sure they get it right,” Jackson County Economic Development Authority CEO and President Dus Rogers said in response to the announcement. “Bellefonte is a unique plant. I think they’re doing what they need to do. A project this big takes time.”
TVA notified state and local officials of its decision earlier in the week.
Johnson anticipates a Bellefonte proposal will be presented to the TVA Board some time later this year. “We want it to be the best decision it can be,” he said.
Significant progress has been made on the ongoing studies and evaluations, according to a statement made by Ashok Bhatnagar, TVA Senior Vice President of Nuclear Generation Development & Construction in the utility’s online newsletter, “TVA Today”.
“Although last summer we laid out an aggressive schedule for evaluations to support making a recommendation for the TVA Board to consider this spring, this is an important decision for us and the public we serve,” Bhatnagar said. “We need to take the time necessary to make a good decision.”
TVA is taking additional time to complete the ongoing environmental review process although it has already presented its Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. The utility also evaluates projected power supply, project risks, financial considerations including projected constructions costs and proposed financing plans before a recommendation is made.
“Nuclear power is still valuable for TVA and its customers,” Johnson said. “Bellefonte is a viable option for meeting demand. It is still very much under consideration.”
“I respect their decision,” Rogers said. “They’re looking at all options. We want them to be slow and deliberate. And we want them to do it. We are geared up and will continue to generate support for this project that is so important to Jackson County.”
TVA continues to develop a mix of efficiency, renewable energy and an increase in carbon free generation as part of its overall Integrated Resource Plan, according to Johnson. The addition of near zero emissions nuclear power generating capacity is part of that overall plan.
“We’re still on track. We’re still looking at it,” Johnson said. “A little more time is necessary for everything that goes into the decision making process.”
“Nuclear generation is an energy source that overall remains a valuable and viable option…”Bhatnagar said. “We look forward to completing the work needed to prepare a recommendation for the TVA Board to consider for the future of Bellefonte.”
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