Unistar Promises American Citizens Will Manage Calvert Cliffs 3

UniStar Nuclear Energy plans to put American citizens in key corporate positions to ensure U.S. control over the proposed third reactor at Calvert Cliffs in Southern Maryland.  Unistar, owned by French energy company EDF, made the pledge to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as it is seeking a license to own and operate the plant. Unistar needs a U.S. partner for the project because federal law prohibits ownership or control of a U.S. nuclear plant by a foreign entity.

EDF and Constellation formed UniStar to develop new nuclear plants in the United States, including the third unit at Calvert Cliffs. But Constellation pulled out of negotiations in October with the Department of Energy over a federal loan guarantee considered crucial for financing the $9.6 billion reactor, throwing the project into doubt. By selling its half-stake in Unistar, Constellation abandoned that business, leaving EDF to pursue Calvert Cliffs 3 on its own.


Calver Cliffs Nuclear Plant

Unistar's governance structure calls for two independent U.S. citizens n the eight-member board of directors as well as a chairman and a chief executive who both must be U.S. citizens. They have set up a security subcommittee of the board composed of the chairman and the two independent U.S. citizens. The subcommittee has the authority for any decisions related to nuclear safety, security and reliability issues.

A final decision on the license for Calvert Cliffs 3 is not expected to be made until at least mid-2012. (Energy Central, 12/9/2010)

Oyster Creek Closing 10 Years Early To Avoid Cooling Tower

Anonymous sources have disclosed that Chicago-based Exelon Corporation has reach an agreement with New Jersey officials to close its Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station 10 year earlier than planned in exchange for not having to build expensive cooling towers.  The facility is in the Forked River section of Lacey Township and is the nation's oldest nuclear power plant.  The plant will now close in 2019 instead of 2029.


Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station

The facility's current 'once-through' technology draws 1.4 billion gallons of water a day from Barnegat Bay and opponents of the plant use the charge that it is killing billions of aquatic creatures each year.  This is a back door method to try to close the plant. Exelon estimates that it would cost $800 million to build the towers, which is more than the plant is worth.

In January, the state Department of Environmental Protection required the plant to build one or more closed-cycle cooling towers instead of relying on water drawn from the Oyster Creek to cool the reactor. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted the Oyster Creek station a new 20-year license in April 2009. Oyster Creek generates enough electricity to power 600,000 homes a year. It provides 9 percent of New Jersey's electricity. Oyster Creek went online Dec. 1, 1969, the same day as the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Generating Station near Oswego, N.Y. (NYT, 12/9/2010)