New Realities Bring About a Construction Climate Change
When environmentalists advocate constructing new nuclear powerplants, you know the climate has changed for an energy source that many once thought was on its way to extinction. A subtle shift to green is occurring in the public’s view of nuclear energy, and the electricity industry is responding like a lane of traffic to a changing signal.
Generating companies have announced plans for as many as 29 new nuclear units, and possibly more, at about 20 U.S. sites, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute, with capacity totaling between 29,000 and 40,000 MW. On Aug. 31, Dallas-based TXU Corp. announced plans to develop 2,000 to 6,000 MW at up to three sites. Industry sources and analysts now are predicting construction starting as early as 2010 on the first new nuclear plants in the U.S. since 1973.