South Carolina’s state-owned utility Santee Cooper has launched a process seeking proposals that could lead to the revival of the abandoned Summer nuclear power station extension project.
The company said in a statement that it is looking for proposals to acquire and complete, or propose alternatives, for two partially constructed nuclear units at the site, in Jenkinsville, South Carolina. The utility said it has no plans to own the units.
The statement said Santee Cooper has engaged US investment banking firm Centerview Partners to conduct a request for proposal (RFP) seeking parties interested in acquiring the project and related assets, and potentially completing one or both units or pursuing alternative uses of the assets.
Factors contributing to the utility’s decision to launch an RFP process include a need for new generating capacity, driven by rapid growth of data centres, the onshoring of manufacturing and the retirement of fossil-fired plants.