Connecticut Post
State Sen. Norman Needleman , co-chairman of the Energy and Technology Committee , said the legislation was introduced by state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg , D- Westport . Steinberg was not available for comment Wednesday on the proposed bill.
Needleman, a Democrat from Deep River , said whether or not a new reactor is built at Millstone has more to do with market conditions and technology issues than it does with Connecticuit lawmakers coming out in support of such a plan.
"They need to have the revenue stream to justify doing this," he said of Dominion Energy , the Virginia -based utiity company that owns the power plant.
The discussion centers on what is known as "advanced nuclear reactors." The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission describes advance reactors as those using "different technologies from existing operating reactors such as passive safety features, using different fuel or coolant, or scaling the entire reactor smaller."
More Business
Hartford DoubleTree by Hilton is now both a hotel and apartments
Hartford leaders hope to see more mixed-use projects downtown that combine apartments with...
The Hilton hotel at 315 Trumbull St. in Hartford , Wednesday, January 10, 2024 . The Hilton hotel is undergoing a renovation to create apartments on the top floors and a new DoubleTree hotel on the bottom floors.
CT bill proposes study to build new Millstone nuclear reactor
Market conditions and technology issues are the primary driver on whether or not a new...
The Millstone Power Station in Waterford , through which the state directs utilities to purchase power under an agreement separate from the markets overseen by ISO New England . Gov. Ned Lamont's administration is asking the Connecticut General Assembly to give it approval to seek out more of those kinds of contracts in an effort to improve electricity prices and reliability in Connecticut and the region. (File photo by Morgan Kaolian AEROPIX)
Scammers drained $70M from CT residents in 2023, a new record
The most impersonated organization in 2023 was the U.S. Postal Service , according to the...
Scammers drained about $70 million from Connecticut residents last year, the Federal Trade Commission reported. (Getty Images)
Farmington manufacturer buys NJ firm, will bring work to CT
A maker of parts for products like EpiPens and SIG Sauer pistols, Farmington's Connecticut ...
An Avelo Airlines Boeing 737-700 Next Gen airplane like the ones Avelo will use at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport .
Why over $1 billion in state aid did not ignite a jobs boom in CT
Since 2008, Connecticut has provided over $1 billion in subsidies to businesses. But the...
The WWE headquarters at 677 Washington Blvd. , left, UBS office at 600 Washington Blvd. , center, and Charter Communications headquarters at 400 Washington Blvd. , right, in Stamford, Conn. , photographed on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 .
The Nuclear Energy Institute describes the advantages of advanced nuclear reactors as being safer than the current technology being used in nuclear plants across the country and having components that can be manufactured in factories rather than onsite, which would lower development costs and the amount of time needed to deploy them. Advanced nuclear reactors are also easier to integrate with intermittent renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, according to the NEI.
Susan Adams , a Dominion Energy spokeswoman, said "although the technology is not fully developed, Dominion, like most utilities operating nuclear power stations in the U.S. , is considering small modular reactors as an emerging option for new carbon-free power."
If an advanced reactor were to be developed at Millstone, Adams said there's been no determination at this point where it would be located on the grounds of the Waterford power plant.
But Needleman said he was told by Dominion officials during a visit to the facility that an advanced reactor would be where Unit 1 was located. Unit 1 is one of three reactors that previously operated at the plant, but was shut down in November 1995 and permanently closed in July 1998 .
"It would cost them a lot of money to pull a reactor" that is still operating, Needleman said.
Adams said decommissioning is the final step in the lifecycle of a nuclear power plant, and that hasn't yet happened with Unit 1.
Officials with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection wrote in a draft report released last month that "there is considerable national interest in developing and deploying advanced nuclear reactors, including small modular reactors and other advanced reactor designs, to augment, and possibly replace, the current U.S. nuclear fleet."
"Within New England , advanced nuclear reactors also have the potential to provide a source of firm, dispatchable power to complement non-dispatchable renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power, needed to meet decarbonization mandates, and to provide a source of stored energy in the region to help meet winter reliability needs," the report reads in part.
But the DEEP report warned that "commercial deployment of advanced nuclear technologies is in its early stages elsewhere in the U.S. , with unique federal subsidies and support."
"As such, the cost and investment pathways for developing advanced nuclear technologies in New England is uncertain," the DEEP report states. "The upfront costs and risks to build out the first several units of a particular technology that will be required to fully realize these learnings and lower costs are likely to be significant. Cost risk represents an especially high barrier to deployment for first of a kind."
Dominion Energy is supportive of the study being proposed in the bill known as HB 5357.
" Dominion Energy appreciates the support of the legislature and looks forward to collaborating with DEEP and policymakers on solutions for continued operation of Millstone's existing units and how to achieve the policy environment necessary to fully leverage the potential for new nuclear power in meeting increased energy demand as well as the state's decarbonization goals," written testimony submitted to the Energy and Technology Committee , reads in part.
Millstone began operating in 1970 and at one time had three operating units. The two remaining reactors produce 2,100 megawatts of electricity.
Millstone's Unit 2 is currently licensed through 2035 and Unit 3 is licensed through 2045, Adams said. Dominion officials announced in January that the company would be applying for subsequent license renewal to extend the life of both units for an additional 20 years, to 2055 and 2065, respectively.
The NRC last approved a license renewal for Millstone's two reactors in November 2005 .
___
(c)2024 the Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, Conn.)
Visit the Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, Conn.) at www.ctpost.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.