New Build

Southern Co. meets NRC requirements for new reactors Companies mentioned include: Southern Company, NRC, Vogtle NPP, IAEA, FERC, Unistar Nuclear Energy, EDF, and Nuclear Energy Institute

Weekly Intelligence Brief 28 September – 5 October 2011

Southern Co. meets NRC requirements for new reactors

Southern Company’s application to construct two new reactors at Plant Vogtle in Georgia meets all the requirements of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the company said after the end of the hearings held by the agency. "We are one step closer to receiving the first COL ever issued for nuclear units in this country," said Buzz Miller, executive vice president of nuclear development for Southern Nuclear."We believe that the evidence presented emphasizes that our application satisfies all commission regulations and requirements."

As part of Southern Nuclear's COL application for units 3 and 4, the company is requesting approval to continue safety-related foundation work under an additional Limited Work Authorization (LWA-B), including the installation of rebar and the concrete basemat for the nuclear island as part of the COL application. The company expects to receive the Vogtle COL around the end of 2011, with Unit 3 becoming operational in 2016 and Unit 4 in 2017.

IAEA to assist Japan in off-site remediation

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will dispatch an international expert mission to Japan to assist the country in its planning to remediate the areas off-site from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Following a request by the Government of Japan, the mission, comprising 12 international and IAEA experts from several countries, will visit Japan between 7 and 15 October 2011 under the leadership of Mr. Juan Carlos Lentijo, General Director for Radiation Protection at Spain's nuclear regulatory authority.

The team will go to several locations in the Fukushima Prefecture and conduct meetings in Tokyo with Japanese officials to provide assistance to Japan in its plans to manage remediation efforts; review the country's remediation strategies, plans and work; and share its findings with the international community.

FERC gives conditional thumbs up for Duke-Progress merger

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has conditionally authorized the proposed merger of Duke Energy and Progress Energy, subject to the agency's approval of mitigation measures to address its finding that the combined company could have an adverse effect on competition in Carolinas power markets. In an order issued Sept. 30, the FERC said the companies have up to 60 days to propose measures to address the market power concerns.

Duke Energy Chairman, President and CEO Jim Rogers, and Progress Energy Chairman, President and CEO Bill Johnson said in a joint statement: "We believe our proposed merger will provide significant customer benefits and protections, and we are confident that we will meet the FERC's standards for approval. We are still working toward closing the merger by year's end. "We plan to file detailed mitigation measures within about two weeks to address the FERC's concerns about market power in the Carolinas."

Foreign ownership burdening license applications

Opponents of two proposed South Texas Project nuclear reactors received a favorable order from Atomic Safety and Licensing Board judges allowing a full hearing to proceed regarding the project's foreign ownership. Licensing efforts may be impacted as a result. In April, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission told Unistar Nuclear Energy it could not get an operating license for its planned reactor at Calvert Cliffs in Maryland because it was fully owned by France's electricite de France (EDF)--a foreign entity. 

"Federal law is clear that foreign controlled corporations are not eligible to apply for a license to build and operate nuclear power plants. The evidence is that Toshiba is in control of the project and this precludes obtaining an NRC license for South Texas Project 3 & 4," said Brett Jarmer, a lawyer for the Intervenors; SEED Coalition, Public Citizen and South Texas Association for Responsible Energy.

Nuclear lobbyists Q1 spend reaches $580K

The main trade group for the nuclear power industry, the Nuclear Energy Institute, spent $580,000 in the first quarter lobbying federal officials about financial support for new reactors, safety regulations and other issues, according to a disclosure report. The figure marks an increase of 32 per cent in the same period last year.

NEI lobbied the government on measures designed to ensure the nation's 104 commercial reactors can withstand natural disasters. It also lobbied on requiring nuclear operators to transfer radioactive spent nuclear fuel from cooling pools inside or near reactor cores to dry casks further from the reactors.