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Latest Issue of Nuclear Policy Outlook Available

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Building Confidence in Licensing New U.S. Nuclear Plants

Now that companies have submitted license applications for new nuclear power plants, the industry, regulator, financial community and others are taking stock of the challenges that lie ahead. Demonstrating confidence and stability in the new NRC licensing process is a critical first step toward building new reactors in the United States. This issue of Nuclear Policy Outlook focuses on how companies are meeting the key challenges of licensing new nuclear plants, their recent successes and plans for the future. For the PDF version click here.
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Anonymous said…
Speaking of "Building Confidence in the Licensing Process," this notice in today's Federal Register (02-20-2008)regarding the first of the "completed" COL applications submitted:

"The Commission is issuing a Notice Withdrawing the Hearing Notice Regarding the Application for a Combined Operating License for South Texas Project Units 3 and 4. This has the effect of indefinitely postponing the deadline by which petitions to intervene must be filed."

On you mark...
Get set...
Go... no wait...
stop... indefinitely

That's an expensive crappy application---and it do NOT build confidence in the licensing process as it took the filing of a motion to suspend even an expedited rubberstamping one.
February 20, 2008 at 4:50 PM
Anonymous said…
Wrong again, Gunter. That was so last week. Way back on 2/14, the Clinton News Network (CNN) stated that "NRG last month told federal regulators that cost negotiations were continuing with its reactor vendors, which would make it difficult for the company to respond to specific design questions the government has about the application, NRG spokesman David Knox said Thursday." That's not a bad application, it is a cost uncertainty issue, which I figured you would be all over, as you are fond of claiming nuclear power is too expensive, while you simulataneously attempt to drive up costs with your intervention.
February 20, 2008 at 6:11 PM
Anonymous said…
The reason for the delay is that Toshiba and GE-Hitachi cannot reach an agreement going forward. GEH prepared the COLA, an excellent work product. When it came time to decide the EPC contract Toshiba won. Toshiba has not been able to reach an agreement with GEH to provide the design basis for the STP COL application. NRG cannot build an ABWR design that was certified by GE without GEH support. Copyright issues apply to the decision making process. I thought NRG was a smarter company than they appear to be.
February 20, 2008 at 6:29 PM
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