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EDF Announces More Delays, Cost Overruns for Flamanville 3 Reactor

July 25, 2018

French utility Électricité de France (EDF)on July 25 said it has pushed fuel loading at its 1.6-GW Flamanville 3 nuclear project to the fourth quarter of 2019 and increased cost estimates for the project by another €400 million (USD $ 467.1 million).

EDF said its current cost for the project has ballooned to €10.9 billion (USD $ 12.75 billion), triple the original budget. The utility today said start-up for the troubled EPR reactor will not occur until at least the second quarter of 2020. Fuel loading and commercial operation start dates at the Normandy plant have now been revised twice in the past year; in October 2017, EDF said fuel loading was set for late 2018, with full production in 2019.

EDF said the latest delay is due to faulty welding of joints, which the utility had previously discussed in April and May of this year. The utility said it has inspected 148 of 150 welds in the main secondary system at Flamanville 3 and found 33 needed repairs.…

Report: Killing Clean Power Plan Could Cost Nation 560,000 Potential Jobs

June 23, 2017

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If the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back the Clean Power Plan (CPP) are successful, the nation could miss out on 560,000 potential jobs and a boost of $ 52 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP), according to a report released by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).

“From states with relatively small populations like Maine and Montana to highly populated states like Florida, the CPP could have substantial employment and economic benefits — benefits that would disappear with the Trump Administration’s repeal of the policy,” the June 21 report says.

The CPP has been a thorn in the side of coal proponents since it was proposed in 2014. The rule requires states to develop action plans to meet state-specific, federally-set carbon emissions reduction goals for existing coal-fired power plants.

According to the E2 report, implementation of the CPP would result in the creation of up to 560,000 jobs and add up to $ 52 billion to the nation’s GDP. Those benefits will be lost if the rule is weakened or rescinded, the report says.…

Cost Overruns at Vogtle Expected to Soar

June 21, 2017

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Georgia Power officials say the utility continues to work with its partners in the troubled Vogtle nuclear plant to firm up construction timelines and determine the costs to complete two new units at the facility. At the same time, a group opposed to the project and two long-time project consultants say ballooning costs should put an end to the plan.

A recent report from the consultants—William Jacobs, Jr., the project’s independent construction monitor since 2009, and Steven Roetger, the GPSC’s lead analyst for the project—to the Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) said the Vogtle project, already billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule, is not economically viable, with a recommendation it should be abandoned.

The news comes just days after Southern Co., parent of Georgia Power, and Westinghouse reached a deal in which Westinghouse parent Toshiba agreed to pay Southern $ 3.68 billion to keep the project moving forward and continue the process of moving project management at Vogtle Units 3 and 4 from Westinghouse to Georgia Power.…