“Renewing the operating license of the Sequoyah plant will allow us to continue to provide reliable, safe and clean electricity for the consumers in our service area,” said Chief Nuclear Officer Preston Swafford
– By Mark Mcfadden –
The Tennessee Valley Authority is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on the potential effect of extending the operating licenses for its two-unit Sequoyah Nuclear Plant. Sequoyah operates two nuclear generating units and the winter net dependable generating capacity is 2,320 megawatts.
“Renewing the operating license of the Sequoyah plant will allow us to continue to provide reliable, safe and clean electricity for the consumers in our service area,” said Chief Nuclear Officer Preston Swafford. “Using existing non-air-polluting plants like Sequoyah for an additional 20 years helps us keep electricity costs affordable while being a steward of our environment.”
Renewing the existing licenses will allow the plant to operate beyond 2020 and 2021, when the current licenses expire for Units 1 and 2, respectively. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses new nuclear plants for 40 years of operation and for an additional 20 years if a renewal application is approved.
“Nuclear plants generate electricity without the release of greenhouse gases, and that helps TVA as it strives to minimize its environmental footprint,” Swafford said.
Each of Sequoyah’s two reactors is capable of producing more than 1,160 megawatts. Together, they can generate enough electricity to supply about 1.3 million homes.
The TVA Board of Directors is expected to decide if license renewal applications will be submitted after the environmental review is completed and TVA’s readiness to prepare the applications is evaluated.
Sequoyah was the most efficient generator of nuclear power in the U.S. over a three-year period (2000-2002), producing power at 1.14 cents per kWh. The assessment was conducted by Nucleonics Week, an industry publication. Sequoyah was one of two recipients of the 2000 Utility Achievement Award given by the American Nuclear Society. The award recognizes performance improvements.
The license renewal process is expected to cost about $20 million, including NRC charges to TVA to review the applications.
TVA encourages public participation in the environmental review process. Information about the proposal has been posted at www.tva.com/environment/reports/sqn-renewal/. Comments can be submitted to the Web page or sent to Amy Henry, NEPA Specialist, Tennessee Valley Authority (Mail Stop WT 11D), 400 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, TN 37902 or by e-mail to abhenry@tva.gov. Comments must be postmarked or e-mailed no later than May 10.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for utility and business customers in most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia – an area of 80,000 square miles with a population of 9 million. TVA operates 29 hydroelectric dams, 11 coal-fired power plants, three nuclear plants and 11 natural gas-fired power facilities and supplies up to 36,000 megawatts of electricity, delivered over 16,000 miles of high-voltage power lines. TVA also provides flood control, navigation, land management and recreation for the Tennessee River system and works with local utilities and state and local governments to promote economic development across the region. TVA, which makes no profits and receives no taxpayer money, is funded by sales of electricity to its customers. Electricity prices in TVA’s service territory are below the national average.