Progress Energy Florida, Central Florida's largest electricity provider, said today it filed an application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build two nuclear reactors on a 5,000-acre site in southern Levy County about 10 miles north of Crystal River.
The commission's review is expected to take three to four years, the utility said. If approved and built, the two reactors could begin generating power in 2017.
Together, the reactors would be able to generate up to 2,200 megawatts of electricity, enough power for nearly 1.4 million homes.
The $17 billion project won unanimous approval from the Florida Public Service Commission last month. The plan still requires approval from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which is expected to issue a decision next year.
The St. Petersburg-based utility, which provides electricity to nearly 1.7 million customers, could begin collecting the project's cost from customers in January under a new state law that allows utilities to recover the cost of nuclear projects early. For other types of power plant construction, costs are recovered from customers once the plant is completed.
The nuclear plant is needed to meet growing demand for electricity, said Jeff Lyash, president and CEO of Progress Energy Florida.
"Our communities are growing, and we are all using more electricity in our daily lives, so our energy needs are increasing," Lyash said. The new nuclear plant "will add to our already diverse generation portfolio and enable us to address the challenge of climate change with safe, carbon-free power."
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