Nuclear Power 2010 Public Information Projects

Nuclear Power 2010 -- Overview

New baseload nuclear generating capacity is required to support the National Energy Policy (NEP) objectives of enhancing U.S. energy supply diversity and energy security. The Nuclear Power 2010 program, unveiled by the Secretary on February 14, 2002, is a joint government/industry cost-shared effort to identify sites for new nuclear power plants, develop and bring to market advanced nuclear plant technologies, evaluate the business case for building new nuclear power plants, and demonstrate untested regulatory processes leading to an industry decision in the next few years to seek Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval to build and operate at least one new advanced nuclear power plant in the United States. The Department is actively engaged with the industry to address the issues affecting future expansion of nuclear generation. The Strategic Plan for Light Water Reactor Research and Development was jointly issued by the Department and the electric utility industry in February 2004 that describes the goals and objectives of this cooperative government and industry approach.

Background Nuclear power plants generate 20 percent of the electricity produced in this country; however, all recent electric-generating capacity additions and projected future additions are primarily fueled by natural gas. To help meet our growing demand for new baseload electricity generation, the NEP has recommended expanding the role of nuclear energy as a major component of our Nation’s energy picture. Despite the excellent performance of current nuclear plants and decisions by power plant owners to seek license renewal and power uprates, no new plant has been ordered in this country for more than 25 years. The Department believes that an over reliance on a single fuel source, like natural gas, is a potential vulnerability to the long-term security of our Nation’s energy supply and new nuclear plants must be built in the next decade to address increasing concerns over air quality and to ease the pressures on natural gas supply.

Program Activities for the Deployment of Nuclear Power

The NP-2010 program is focused on reducing the technical, regulatory and institutional barriers to deployment of new nuclear power plants based on expert recommendations documented in A Roadmap to Deploy New Nuclear Power Plants in the United States by 2010, Volume 1: Summary Report;   Volume II: Main Reportand the Business Case for New Nuclear Power Plants in the United States.

The technology focus of the Nuclear Power 2010 program is on Generation III+ advanced light water reactor designs which offer advancements in safety and economics over the Generation III designs certified by NRC in the 1990’s. To enable the deployment of new Generation III+ nuclear power plants in the United States in the relatively near-term, it is essential to demonstrate the untested Federal regulatory and licensing processes for the siting, construction, and operation of new nuclear plants. The Department utilizes competitive procurement processes and conducts program activities in cost-share cooperation with industry to address such issues. The Department has initiated cooperative projects with industry to obtain NRC approval of three sites for construction of new nuclear power plants under the Early Site Permit (ESP) process, and to develop application preparation guidance for the combined Construction and Operating License (COL) and to resolve generic COL regulatory issues. The COL process is a “one-step” licensing process by which nuclear plant public health and safety concerns are resolved prior to commencement of construction, and NRC approves and issues a license to build and operate a new nuclear power plant.

In November 2003, the Department issued a solicitation inviting proposals from teams led by power generation companies to initiate New Nuclear Plant Licensing Demonstration Projects to demonstrate the COL process. The Department has received proposals from three consortia representing nine U.S. power generation companies and four advanced reactor technology suppliers. The nine power generation companies responding to the solicitation operate 67 of the 103 U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. Although no company has yet announced a decision to build a plant, these companies are conducting detailed technical and economic evaluations necessary to support a corporate decision on constructing a new nuclear power plant.

FY 2003 Accomplishments

• Two ESP applications were submitted by power generation companies to NRC for review and approval in the last quarter of FY 2003.
• Initiated various projects to conduct site-suitability studies and analyses to enable technology selection by power generation companies and enhance understanding of the business conditions necessary for new nuclear power plant orders.
• Finalized a solicitation for inviting power generation company proposals to demonstrate the COL process.
• Integrated advanced gas-cooled reactor fuel development and qualification activities initiated under the Nuclear Power 2010 program into the Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Initiative.
  

FY 2004 Accomplishments and Planned Activities

• The third ESP application was submitted to NRC by a power generation company in early FY 2004. The ESP project focus in FY 2004 is on resolution of site-specific issues arising from NRC review of the three ESP applications.
• Conduct site-suitability technical evaluations (e.g., geotechnical, geological and seismological) and assessment of the electricity transmission impacts associated with siting a new commercial nuclear plant at a site in Alabama.
• Conduct a Texas Gulf Coast Nuclear Power Plant Feasibility Study to explore the feasibility of siting, licensing, financing, and construction a privately funded new nuclear power plant in Texas to meet the growing and diverse energy requirements in the Texas Gulf Coast area.
• Completed a nuclear construction technology assessment that independently evaluated the schedule and construction methods of advanced nuclear plant designs. This assessment provides important technical and economic data to the power generation companies to support reactor technology selection for the next nuclear power plant to be built in the United States.
• Develop generic guidance for COL application preparation and resolve generic COL regulatory issues under a cost-shared project with industry.
• Completed a macroeconomic study on the economic viability of new nuclear power plants in the United States and the effectiveness of temporary policies to assist in the competitiveness of the first few new plants.
• Initiate New Nuclear Plant Licensing Demonstration Projects to demonstrate the untested COL regulatory process. Demonstration of this process is essential to building new nuclear power plants.