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March 27, 2007
Department of Energy Commends the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Approval of a Second Early Site Permit in Just One Month
The Entergy Corporation’s Grand Gulf Site in Mississippi Receives NRC Approval for an ESP
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today applauded the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) decision to approve an Early Site Permit (ESP) for the Entergy Corporation’s Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Mississippi. This approval, the second ESP this month, demonstrates another major milestone in President Bush’s Advanced Energy Initiative, which plans to expand the use of safe and clean nuclear power. Earlier this month, Secretary Bodman commended the NRC for its decision to approve the first-ever ESP for the Exelon Generation Company’s Clinton site, in central Illinois.
“The Department of Energy is proud to foster an environment where nuclear power – a safe and emissions-free source of energy - can begin to thrive,” Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman said. “We’re seeing a lot of momentum in the nuclear world; while promoting nuclear energy is good policy for government, it can also be good business. NRC approval of two Early Site Permits in just one month represents a major accomplishment in the Bush Administration’s effort to improve the nuclear regulatory processes while still demonstrating its effectiveness.”
This ESP approval culminates a four-year, cost-shared project with DOE and Entergy Corporation (Exelon and Dominion are the two others) aimed at demonstrating the new and untested licensing process for citing new nuclear plants.
Entergy submitted their ESP application, which includes a Site Safety Analysis Report, an Environmental Report, and an Emergency Plan, to the NRC in October 2003. The NRC issued the Final Safety Evaluation Report in April 2006, the Final Environmental Impact Statement in April 2006, and the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board hearings concluded in early September 2006.
DOE has partnered with Entergy (Grand Gulf, MS), Exelon (Clinton, IL), and Dominion Energy (North Anna, VA) since September 2002 to demonstrate the ESP process. This process was established by NRC in 1989 for utilities to complete the site and environmental evaluations needed before a decision is made to build a nuclear plant. Once issued, the ESP is valid for 20 years and can be used in conjunction with a subsequent combined construction and operating license application (COLA). A decision on Dominion’s North Anna ESP is expected later this year.
DOE encourages Entergy Corporation’s plans to purse the next licensing phase by submitting for a COLA, the next necessary step toward building a nuclear power plant in the U.S. DOE will continue its programs with industry partners to lead the path toward a nuclear renaissance, ensuring America’s energy future with safe, reliable, emissions-free, renewable, and affordable base-load energy.
The issuance of this ESP, and pursuit of COLAs, also supports DOE’s Nuclear Power 2010 (NP 2010) program, 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.
President Bush’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 budget requests $874.2M ($241M, 38.2% increase over the FY’07) for DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy. Of that request, $114 million ($60 million, 111% increase over the FY 2007 request) has been allocated for NP 2010 to complete the remaining ESP demonstration projects and continue the New Nuclear Plant Licensing Demonstration projects. This funding will allow continued reactor designs and implement further successful licensing interactions with industry to build new nuclear plants by 2009.
Media contact(s):
Craig Stevens, (202) 586-4940
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