Overview
The Nuclear Power 2010 program (NP2010), unveiled by the Department of Energy on February 14, 2002, is a joint government/industry cost-shared effort to identify sites for new nuclear power plants, develop and bring to market advanced nuclear plant technologies, evaluate the business case for building new nuclear power plants and demonstrate untested regulatory processes. The accomplishment of these program objectives paves the way for an industry decision to build new advanced light water reactor nuclear plants in the United States that would begin operation in the middle of the next decade. The Department is actively engaged with nuclear industry stakeholders to address the issues affecting future expansion of nuclear generation.
By the end of FY2010, the program will conclude its final year of Government support. NP 2010 has succeeded in building momentum toward a “nuclear renaissance” in which nuclear plants are effective options for zero-carbon electricity production. Streamlined regulatory processes such as the early site permit and the combined construction and operating license are stimulating the utility sector to consider nuclear power plants to fill future energy growth requirements, as shown by the spike in license applications from 2002 to present. Completion of complex design certifications on advanced, passively safe reactor designs are expected to provide increased confidence on the part of utilities and the public in the construction and operation of these new units.
Nuclear power plants generate approximately 20 percent of the electricity produced in this country; however, all recent electric-generating capacity additions and projected future additions are primarily fueled by natural gas. Despite the excellent performance of current nuclear plants and decisions by power plant owners to seek license renewal and power up-rates, no new plant has been ordered in this country for more than 30 years.
Program Activities
Below are some highlights of the history and unique successes, as well as the current state of licensing and design certification activities performed under the NP2010 program. Once completed, these activities will provide the technical and regulatory template that industry will use to cost effectively design, license, construct and operate the nuclear fleet of the future.
June 14, 2010 NRC docketed Exelon's ESP application for Victoria County, originally submitted as a COLA.
May 26, 2010 PSEG submitted an ESP application for a site adjacent to their Salem and Hope Creek reactors in New Jersey.
May 24, 2010 NRC invited public participation in an environmental scoping hearing for the William States Lee COLA.
May 20, 2010 AREVA was offered a $2 billion federal loan guarantee conditional agreement for the Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility in Idaho.
May 18, 2010 Dominion selected Mitsubishi US-APWR for the North Anna COLA in lieu of the ESBWR.
May 3, 2010 NRC announced an opportunity to participate in a hearing on the Limited Work Authorization request for the Vogtle COLA.
April 27, 2010 Payette County, Idaho, approved the site of a proposed Alternate Energy Holding nuclear plant.
April 21, 2010 NRC made the Calvert Cliffs and V.C. Summer Draft Environmental Impact Statement available for public comment on April 23.
March 25, 2010 Exelon submitted an ESP application for the Victoria County site, replacing the COL application that they withdrew on July 1, 2009. NRC will conduct a public meeting in Victoria, TX, on April 15 to discuss their review of the ESP application.
February 28, 2010 NRC completed its environmental review for the North Anna COLA and issued the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS), documenting no environmental impacts that would preclude issuing a COL.
February 16, 2010 DOE offered a conditional agreement to Entergy for $8.33 billion in loan guarantees for two AP100 units at Vogtle located in Burke, Georgia. This is the first such agreement for a nuclear plant and the fifth overall under the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
December 31, 2009 Areva signed a letter of intent with the Fresno Nuclear Energy Group to investigate a possible EPR in California's Central Valley region.
December 23, 2009 Alternate Energy Holdings Inc. announced a delay in its COL application for a nuclear plant in Elmore County, Idaho to the fourth quarter of 2011. They also announced plans to submit applications for two new plants: Payette County, ID, 2nd quarter 2011 & Pueblo, CO, 2nd quarter 2012.
December 17, 2009 General Electric-Hitachi announced that it had signed an agreement with Detroit Edison on site planning for an ESBWR at Detroit Edison's Fermi site.
December 16, 2009 NRC held a meeting in Waynesboro, Georgia to discuss the agency's inspection plans under the Limited Work Authorization issued for the Vogtle nuclear plant site.
December 1, 2009 Unistar asked the NRC to suspend review of their COL application for an EPR at Nine Mile due to uncertainties in loan guarantee funding.
November 2, 2009 The Maryland Public Service Commission has granted Electricité de France (EdF) conditional rights to take over 49.99% of Constellation Energy's nuclear generation including the proposed new EPR at Calvert Cliffs.
September 8, 2009 Florida Power and Lights's COL application for two AP1000 reactors at the Turkey Point site near Homestead, Florida was docketed by NRC.
August 26, 2009 Southern Nuclear Operating Company received an ESP and Limited Work Authorization (LWA) for its Vogtle site in Georgia.
June 30, 2009 Florida Power and Light submitted a COL application, for two AP 1000 reactors located at the Turkey Point site in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
June 30, 2009 Exelon announced it will seek an ESP for its proposed Victoria County site rather than a COL, citing economic uncertainties and limited availability of federal loan guarantees.
June 30, 2009 Constellation Energy received final approval from the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) for Calvert Cliffs.
June 23, 2009 Ameren UE requested that NRC suspend all Callaway COL Application review activities, citing financial reasons. NRC had previously convened an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) panel, on May 1, to preside over Callaway hearings.
May 27, 2009 in its proposed FY 2010 budget to Congress, NRC requested $248.3M for work on new reactors.
May 21, 2009 NRC announced public meetings to discuss environmental issues for the Nine Mile Point COL application, to be held in Oswego, N.Y. on June 10.
May 1, 2009 Progress Energy announced a 20-month delay on the Levy County construction schedule upon NRC's determination that excavation and foundation preparation work can only begin after a COL is granted.
April 30, 2009 TVA and NuStart announced their intent to transfer the Westinghouse AP1000 reference application (R-COL) from Bellefonte to Vogtle.
March 13, 2009 Exelon informed NRC of its selection of the ABWR for Victoria County, replacing the original ESBWR; submittal of a COLA revision expected 3rd quarter 2009.
February 25, 2009 The South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company signed an EPC contract with Toshiba for two ABWRs. A previous contract addressed pre-construction & licensing.
February 19, 2009 NRC authorized the reinstatement of construction permits for TVA's unfinished Bellefonte Units 1 and 2 near Scottsboro, AL.
February 11, 2009 The South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC) approved SCE&G's plans for two AP1000 reactors at V.C. Summer.
February, 2009 DOE narrowed the reactor applicants eligible for loan guarantees to five.
February 13, 2009 UniStar requested that the NRC delay its review of the Nine Mile Point COLA as the company will focus its resources on the Calvert Cliffs COLA.
February 11, 2009 NRC issued the final safety evaluation report (FSER) for Southern's ESP and LWA at the Vogtle site.
February 2, 2009 Luminant and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced a joint venture to develop Comanche Peak during the period preceding issuance of a COL.
January 12, 2009 NRC suspended reviews of Entergy's COL applications at River Bend and Grand Gulf in response to the applicant's request to consider alternatives to the ESBWR design.
January 5, 2009 Westinghouse and Shaw Group signed an EPC contract with Progress Energy for two AP1000 units in Levy County, Florida.
December, 2008 NRC docketed five COL applications:
o PPL, for an EPR at Bell Bend in Berwick, Pennsylvania, on December 19, 2008.
o Constellation, for an EPR at Nine Mile Point in Oswego, New York, on December 12.
o Ameren UE, for an EPR at Callaway near Fulton, Missouri, on December 12.
o Entergy, for an ESBWR at River Bend in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, on Dec. 4.
o Luminant for two APWRs at Comanche Peak near Glen Rose, Texas, on December 2.
December 3, 2008 DTE provided notice of intent to prepare an EIS and conduct environmental scoping for its Fermi COLA.
December 3, 2008 NRC docketed Luminant's COL application for two APWR reactors at Comanche Peak near Glen Rose, Texas.
November 25, 2008 NRC docketed DTE's COL application for an ESBWR reactor at the Fermi site in Newport, Michigan.
November 24, 2008 Exelon notified the NRC it is reconsidering its choice of the ESBWR design submitted in their COL application for Victoria County, Texas, and is pursuing a "more mature" design alternative.
November 18, 2008 NRC issued its safety evaluation report (SER) for the ESP and Limited Work Authorization (LWA) at Southern's Vogtle site. A final decision on the ESP is expected in late 2009.
November 4, 2008 Japan Steel Works, Ltd., and Areva signed an 8 year procurement agreement for large forgings.
October 31, 2008 DOE announced availability of its standard contract for the disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste under 10 CFR Part 961 for companies intending to build new nuclear plants. To date, Southern Nuclear and Duke Power have entered into spent fuel contracts with DOE.