Its owner, the Oyster Creek in N.j. nuclear reactor will be closed by 2019, at least ten years before the expiry of its licence, an agreement with the environmental regulators State allowing to operate until then without generating expensive cooling towers said Wednesday.
Exelon nuclear, which has the reactor, in Lacey Township in the Ocean County has been negotiating with Governor Chris Christie on the issue since he took office said this year, nuclear Chief of Exelon, Christopher M. Crane.
Installation of cooling towers "would cost us significantly higher than the current value of the plant," Mr. Crane said in a telephone interview. Under Governor Jon Corzine s., previous state administration had approved a permit environmental project for the plant that would be required for plant cooling towers would stop pumping hot water in the Bay of Barnegat.
Plant, oldest operating power reactor at United States, was built in 1969 by power Central Jersey and Light Company. Exelon and partner each has purchased a share of 50 percent in 2000, and Exelon purchased partner in 2002.
Exelon was eventually buy the factory for approximately $ 10 million and spent approximately 100 million since 2000, said Mr. Crane. While the plant has been profitable, its small size and low market of electricity in a recession are additional unworkable investments, he said.
If expensive parts must be replaced before 2019, he says, he could close before this date.
Oyster Creek has approximately 700 employees, and m. crane headed plant on Wednesday evening to talk to them. Exelon anticipated announcement Thursday, but the Associated Press published an article on the agreement on Wednesday evening.
Office of the Governor refused to comment.
A similar debate on cooling towers are underway on Indian Point on the Hudson River to Buchanan in the County of Westchester reactors. Indian point, Oyster Creek is faced with different enemies, including some of those concerned releases hot Bay and others who oppose nuclear energy in General.
630 Megawatt Oyster Creek was the first large-scale commercial reactor in the country. He survived a tortuous process to win a 20 years of its operation in April 2009 the nuclear regulatory Commission license extension. Towards the end of the 1980s, operators have discovered that she had suffered extensive corrosion in steel liner raise doubts as to whether the reactor could survive an earthquake.
The commission has granted the authorisation after lengthy technical studies. The plant provides approximately 6% of the electricity from New Jersey.
While an act of 1954 gives the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government on nuclear safety, States often apply federal environmental laws inside their borders, control aspects as permits use of water. It is the basis on which the State of New York strives to Entergy, the owner of the Indian Point plants to build cooling towers it force.
Add the financial challenge for the construction of the cooling towers, these plants are struggling with a decline in the demand for electricity, a diving in the wholesale price and a surplus production capacity. Is the price of natural gas is low at present and should by many analysts to stay this way which makes it an attractive source of energy. Coal-fired power plants are also under pressure.
In the case of relatively modest exit Oyster Creek Plant limited income. "Size is certainly a huge contributor" decision, stated Mr. Crane.
Near Yankee Oyster Creek, Vermont, twins can be closed in 2012 because the State of Vermont refused to grant a permit for the plant would require. Its owner, Entergy, developed the reactor for the sale, noting that its small size limits its value.
After Oyster Creek plant is closed at the end of 2019, Exelon will take approximately two years to develop its "stack" components but will not tear it down for at least 10 years after and may not be for 60 years, said Mr. Crane. The company has accumulated $ 750 million for the decommissioning that he called adequate.
Exelon is the largest nuclear operator in the country, with 17 reactors.
There are 104 usable to the United States reactors. The latter two to be retired is plant City North of Chicago, built by the predecessor of Exelon, Commonwealth Edison and Millstone, Waterford, Conn., both in 1998.
Connecticut Yankee in the town of Haddam Neck closed in 1996 and Maine Yankee, Wiscasset, 1997.
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