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Meetings Will Discuss Proposed Levy Nuclear Plant

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By RUSSELL RAY

rray@tampatrib.com

Published: December 2, 2008

TAMPA - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold two public meetings Thursday in Crystal River on Progress Energy's proposed nuclear plant, a $17 billion project in southern Levy County.

The meetings will run from 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at the Florida National Guard Armory, 8551 W. Venable St.

During each session, the public can question regulators and express concerns about the project's environmental impact.

The two-reactor project would generate up to 2,200 megawatts of electricity, enough power for nearly 1.4 million Florida homes. If approved, the nuclear facility would begin generating power in 2016.

The project won unanimous approval from the Florida Public Service Commission in July. But the plan requires approval from the regulatory agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP is expected to issue a decision next year. The regulatory agency review is expected to take three to four years.

Although federal regulators haven't approved the project, Progress Energy in January will begin collecting an additional $11.42 per 1,000 kilowatt hours from customers to pay for preconstruction costs.

Under new state law, utilities can recover the cost of a nuclear plant years before the first watt of power is produced. The law was approved in 2006 to help utilities absorb the high cost of constructing a nuclear plant.

In a recent statement, Progress Energy said the new reactors are "strategic assets in our statewide effort to become energy independent, reduce the price volatility associated with fossil fuels and provide a balanced approach to securing our state's energy future."

The new reactors, the utility said, would lower consumer fuel costs by $1 billion a year and reduce air emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants.

Critics say the utility should be building less-risky power plants that use renewable resources to generate electricity.

Concerns about global warming, America's growing appetite for electricity and efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions have spawned plans to build more than 30 nuclear reactors nationwide.

For information about the meetings, call (301) 415-2730 or (301) 415-0491.

Reporter Russell Ray can be reached at (813) 259-7870.

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