Update:
On July 13th, 2007, Unistar (Constellation Energy Group & AREVA) Submitted the first liscense (COLA) application for a new nuke plant in 30 years for Calvert Cliffs Unit 3.
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/col.htmlCalvert Cliffs Unit 3 won't come online until at least mid-2014 and is among a new wave of about 19 reactors that will be considered by the NRC during the next 12 months.
No applications for a new nuclear power plant have been filed since 1976, and those were for plants that were never built. So this really IS a big deal.
The Calvert Cliffs application is actually a partial one, and includes the environmental portion of what the NRC calls its combined operating license. The remainder of that combination – regarding safety – must be filed in the next six months. Burnell said Unistar has told the NRC to expect the safety portion of the application in early 2008.
NRC staff is expected to take about two-and-a-half years for a technical review of the full license, with an expected additional year if the new the plant is contested.
2008 + 3.5 years = Construction starts ~ Summer 2011
Once the NRC starts considering the application, the clock starts running on review costs, which could reach $23 million for Constellation, and application costs could eventually reach $100 million, part of which would be covered by the Energy Department to encourage development.
The proposed 1600-megawatt reactor will cost an estimated $5 billion to construct, but that price tag may increase depending largely on construction material cost.
There are 4 Early Site Permit (ESP) Applications
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/esp.htmlClinton ESP Site - Exelon Generation Company, LLC ESP - Application received September 25, 2003
Grand Gulf ESP Site - System Energy Resources Inc. ESP - Application received October 21, 2003
North Anna ESP Site - Dominion Nuclear North Anna, LLC ESP - Application received September 25, 2003
Vogtle ESP Site - Southern Nuclear Operating Company - Application received August 15, 2006
Most of the companies that plan to build plants should have their COLA's in to the NRC the end of 2007-2008, so expect to see that COLA list grow in the next 12 months. Potential COLA's include:
NuStart *Bellefonte, Alabama - TVANuStart Grand Gulf, MS - EntergyDominion North Anna, Virginia - DominionEntergy River Bend, LA - Entergy
Duke Energy & Southern Lee/Cherokee, South Carolina - DukeSouthern Co Vogtle, Georgia - SouthernSouth Carolina Elect & Gas Summer, SC - South Carolina Elect & Gas
Unistar * Calvert Cliffs MD - ConstellationUnistar Nine Mile Point NY - Constellation
Progress Energy Harris NC - Progress
Progress Energy near Crystal R., Florida - Progress
NRG Energy South Texas, STP NuclearAmarillo Power Amarillo, Tx, Amarillo
Exelon new site, SE Texas, Exelon
TXU Corporation Comanche Peak Tx, TXU
Alternate Energy Holdings Inc Grand View, Idaho, AEHI
Florida Power & Light Turkey Point, Florida - FPL
DTE Energy Fermi, Michigan - DTE Energy
PPL & partner Susquehanna, PA - PPL
AmerenUE Callaway, Fulton, Missouri - Ameren
Neither ESP nor COL commits anyone to build anything, but they are a step in the right direction.
Constellation Senior vice-president George Vanderheyden told the Washington Post that Constellation has not yet decided to build a new reactor but is "moving as aggressively as we can down the first phase, which is the licensing phase." However, he said, Constellation has been positioning itself to build a new
fleet of standardized nuclear power plants for which the Calvert Cliffs unit would be a model.