CASEnergy > Press Room > CASEnergy Supports the Expansion of Nuclear Power

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 25, 2007 – In a move consistent with the growing shift toward nuclear energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is receiving an increased number of licensing applications to build and operate new reactors. Currently, power companies have plans for 28 more nuclear reactors throughout the country. Today, NRG Energy filed a combined operating license application (COL) with the NRC to build and operate two new reactors at the South Texas Project (STP) nuclear power station site.

“This application is a milestone for the nuclear industry -- it takes one of the most significant steps toward licensing new reactors that we’ve seen in the last quarter century,” said Patrick Moore, who with Christine Todd Whitman chairs the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition.

According to the Department of Energy, electricity demand is expected to rise 40% by 2030. In order to meet that demand while reducing greenhouse gases, we need to build more nuclear power plants. Nuclear energy is the only clean energy alternative that can provide sustainable base load power without emitting any controlled air pollutants or greenhouse gases.

Although building a nuclear plant is a capital intensive endeavor, the investment ultimately pays off. Relative to other sources for electricity, nuclear power has the lowest production cost per kilowatt hour. The average fuel cost for nuclear plants last year was 0.45 cents/kwh, compared to 1.36 cents/kwh for coal and 3.44 cents/kwh for natural gas.