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U.S. Nuclear Power Not Dead: Two New Plants to be Built in Georgia

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Green light for the construction of nuclear reactors in Georgia. On February 9th, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a licence for Southern Company, an energy utility, for the building of two nuclear reactors at Vogtle, Georgia. In the past 34 years no such licence has been granted and no new reactors have been built since
before the Pennsylvania accident in 1979.

However, the decision comes as a surprise only as related to the recent events in Japan and the general reaction that followed, Japan closing most of its reactors for safety reasons, Germany abandoning nuclear strategy and so on.

Apparently, the nuclear renaissance has been expected and with this “Georgia precedent”, the road seems to have cleared. Other companies have also showed more interest in this domain. South Carolina Electric and Gas Company has similar plans in Jenkinsville, while Florida Power and Light Company is also planning to build two reactors.

The reactors approved are model AP1000, built by Westinghouse Nuclear. Prevention of similar recent tragic events is granted by the power-free passive safety system. An example of its design is the rooftop-water tank, which idly prevents the overheating of the reactor for 72 hours,
in total absence of other cooling resorts.

The US has to keep up with THE two growing economies. China was the first country to use the AP1000, while India has 6 reactors under construction, of a different model, and plans for more soon.

Analysts are also putting their money on Japan’s expanding nuclear strategy, as the shortage of natural resources and the closing of its nuclear reactors have greatly affected the country’s economic balance.

[via newscientist]

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