And then there was Cooper

[John M Priest Jr <priestj@DTEENERGY.COM>]

Cooper lost its second major power contract on Friday when the

         Lincoln Electric Systems board said it would not renew a contract for

         12.5% of the total electricity produced by the Nebraska Public Power

         District (NPPD) reactor. LES' contract expires in September 2003.

         "We evaluate all options when planning future resources to meet our

         customers' needs," said LES Administrator and CEO Terry Bundy.

         "Cooper nuclear station is not the most economical option for our

         customers." Bundy said that the 801-MW BWR's recent troubled

         operating history had "reduced its economical advantage." NRC early

         this month downgraded the plant's performance to the agency's

         repetitive problem category because of communications problems in

         Cooper's emergency preparedness area. Only one NRC

         category--unacceptable performance--is lower. The downgrade

         means the plant will be subject to increased NRC inspections,

         increasing its operating costs. Earlier, MidAmerican Energy Co. said it



         would not renew its contract for 50% of Cooper's generation when

         that contract expires in September 2004. MidAmerican had said it

         would rely instead on new generating capacity it plans to build. NPPD

         has been investigating whether it should continue operating Cooper

         beyond September 2004.







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