US nuclear extensions cheaper than new plants

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Thursday October 22, 10:48 pm Eastern Time

WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - A half-dozen U.S. utilities are 
willing to each pay an estimated $10 million to extend licenses for 
aging nuclear power plants because it is cheaper than building new 
natural gas or coal plants, the head of the Nuclear Energy Institute 
said Thursday.  

Earlier this year, Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. (NYSE:BGE - 
news) and Duke Energy Co (NYSE:DUK - news). became the
first U.S. utilities to ask federal regulators to extend their nuclear 
plant operating licenses.

``Industry executives from another half dozen utilities have 
indicated they will follow with license extension applications,'' Joe 
Colvin, president of the institute, told reporters. ``Extending the 
licenses of existing nuclear plants is less expensive -- and more 
efficient -- than building any type of new plants.''  

A typical nuclear power that is coming to the end of its operating 
license will need to spend about $10 million in upgrades and
fees to win approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

For a 1,000 megawatt plant, that translates into a cost of about 
$10 per kilowatt for a nuclear plant, Colvin said. Building a similar 
sized new natural gas-fired plant would cost about $440 per kwh 
and a coal-fired plant about $1,000 per kwh.  

With another international round of global warming talks coming up 
in less than two weeks, the U.S. nuclear industry is also pressing 
the Clinton Administration to let it share in a proposed emissions 
trading scheme.  

Nations will meet in Buenos Aires to discuss the U.N.-sponsored 
Kyoto Treaty that would require industrialized nations to slash 
emissions of greenhouse gases by 2008. The Clinton 
Administration wants to establish a U.S. system for trading 
emissions credits to help utilities and industry meet the reduction 
target.  

``Tradable credits should be earned not only on the basis of 
reduced emissions, but as a function of displaced emissions as 
well,'' Colvin said. The proposed emissions trading would let a coal-
fired utility exceed its pollution limit by purchasing emissions 
savings from other companies.

-----------------------
Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
ICN Plaza
3300 Hyland Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(800) 548-5100 x2306
(714) 668-3149 Fax

sandyfl@earthlink.net or sperle@icnpharm.com

ICN Dosimetry Website:      Personal Website:
http://www.dosimetry.com    http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1205

"The object of opening the mind, as of opening 
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -

The opinions expressed are solely, absolutely, positively, definitely those of the author, and NOT my employer


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