U.S. Regulators Approve First Nuclear Power Plant In A Generation by Eyder Peralta

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U.S. Regulators Approve First Nuclear Power Plant In A Generation
by Eyder Peralta

The National Regulatory Agency announced it had given Southern Co. the OK to build two nuclear reactors in Georgia, making it the first new nuclear power plant approved in a generation.

The AP, which reported earlier today that the NRC was poised to give its approval, reports that one of the $14 billion reactors could be ready as soon as 2016. The second reactor could begin operating in 2017. The AP adds:

“The NRC last approved construction of a nuclear plant in 1978, a year before a partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania raised fears of a radiation release and brought new reactor orders nearly to a halt.

“The NRC approved a new reactor design for the Vogtle plant in December. Utility companies in Florida and the Carolinas also plan new reactors that use the same design by Westinghouse Electric Co.

“The planned reactors are remnants of a once-anticipated building boom that the power industry dubbed the ‘nuclear renaissance.'”

The NRC tweeted that the commission voted 4 to 1 in favor of approval. In the tweet, the NRC said Chairman Gregory Jaczko dissented.

MSNBC reports that Jaczko told his colleagues that there was “still more work” to be done to ensure that that plans for the plant took into consideration the lessons from Japan’s Fukushima disaster.

“I cannot support this licensing as if Fukushima never happened,” Jaczko said.

In a stament Southern Co. called the approval “a monumental accomplishment.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce praised the two new reactors at Southern Co.’s Plant Vogtle.

“This important step allows full construction to begin on the first new reactors built in over 30 years and is the result of hard work by Southern Company and its partners, and the NRC,” Karen Harbert, the chamber’s CEO, said in a statement. “This first-ever approval of a reactor under this new licensing regime demonstrates the process works and goes a long way in reducing the risk for other new nuclear reactors to follow.”

Updated at 1:30 p.m. ET. The Kind Of Reactor:

The NRC’s statement points out that the agency has approved the building of Westinghouse’s amended AP1000, which the NRC describes like this:

“The AP1000is a 1,100 megawatt electric pressurized-water reactor that includes passive safety features that would cool down the reactor after an accident without the need for electricity or human intervention.”

[Copyright 2012 National Public Radio]

Feelings/reaction

This article is about regulators approving the first nuclear reactor in over 30 years. I picked this article because I was surprised by the title. The title was surprising because of all the troubles with nuclear reactors lately that they decide to make more in the U.S. I liked this article because it really informed the reader on why there has not been any made recently and what that meant then. It also is good because it talks a little bit about why this new design is safer. This article is very important idea and current event because it shows that the country is trying to move ahead with old plans, make things safer, and trying to use or make great resources. According to this article and the power industry this is a continuation of an era called the nuclear renaissance. This and the article is important because it shows that the world need to try to make clean and good energy, but at the same time they need to keep it safe and working. I think this is a great article and current event. I feel as if everyone needs to know this. Everyone should know this because people need to start getting even more active in fixing, improving, and trying to help the community. It took a long time for this plan to be made and be approved, the country should try to do things quicker and better. Also this important because it shows how we all need to find a safe way to make clean useful energy that does not hurt earth or it’s inhabitants.