The regional operator of the MidAtlantic power grid has said the closure of three nuclear units totaling 4,048 MW in Ohio and Pennsylvania will not threaten electric reliability, though some transmission projects may need to be accelerated to connect new supply.
The debate over subsidizing uneconomic nuclear plants continues as New Jersey joins New York in supporting the plants for their “zero emission” benefit, while Energy Secretary Rick Perry has yet to decide whether to offer support to FirstEnergy Solution’s nuclear units.
The Tennessee Valley Authority began increasing power output at the first of three units at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in north Alabama to accommodate customer requests for more clean energy, but observers have mixed views on the $475-
million effort.
Florida Power & Light and Miami-Dade (Fla.) County have tentatively agreed to build a new wastewater plant to provide reused water for the utility’s massive cooling canals at its Turkey Point nuclear power plant in Homestead.
The construction, engineering and fabrication issues raised by Christopher Hartz and detailed here by ENR applied to both the Plant Vogtle and V.C. Summer nuclear expansion projects.