Duke Energy Scraps Plans For Florida Nuclear Plant, Forced To Delay Others 233
mdsolar writes
"According to the Associated Press, 'The largest utility in the U.S. is scuttling plans to build a $24.7 billion nuclear power plant in a small Gulf Coast county in Florida, the company announced Thursday. Duke Energy Corp. said it made the decision because of delays by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in issuing licenses for new plants, and because of recent legislative changes in Florida.' Meanwhile, 'Duke Energy's plans to build two nuclear reactors in South Carolina have been delayed by federal regulators who say budget cuts and changes to the plans require more time. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission told Duke in a letter that a final hearing on plans to build the William S. Lee nuclear plant in Cherokee County would have to wait until 2016. The original target had been this past March."
Where'd the money go? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Not the best place (Score:5, Interesting)
True, although other areas also have problems. Generally you need to be on a coast for the massive amount of cooling water needed, although Palo Verde [wikipedia.org] is an exception.
The Pacific coast was going to be the site of the first U.S. plant [wikipedia.org], but public opposition forced its cancellation, and that doesn't seem too likely to change in the near future. Plus you trade hurricane problems for earthquake problems.
More plants on the Great Lakes might be a possibility. Illinois is already the top nuclear-power-producing state as it is.
Re:Do...or do not. There is no try. (Score:5, Interesting)
Either these kinds of plants are ok or they are not. If not, ban them. If so, get the hell out of the way.
Not a matter of them being OK. Dismiss that right off.
I lived for years in a city where a battle was waged by the NIMBYs and a regional power company, with the state and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) sitting on a fence like so many crows and cawing in some change to regulations every now and then. It nearly bankrupted the power company, submitting, resubmitting, re-resubmitting construction plans, plant wiring, cooling system designs and plumbing, environmental impact, etc, etc, etc. Effectively they would spend months building reactor housing and then have to tear it all out and start again. After years of this the writing was on the wall, it would never become a nuclear plant (at least, most likely) The plant became a gas generating plant, though most of the structure could be converted to nuclear if the present owners feel like going to battle again. The designs were fine, but courts and red tape can kill any project.