The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recommended in a statement issued yesterday that the permit should be issued.

"The staff's preliminary conclusions include a finding that there are no environmentally preferable or obviously superior sites, and that any adverse environmental impacts from site preparation and preliminary construction activities at North Anna could be redressed," the NRC said.

It has scheduled a Jan. 19 public meeting for comment on the draft environmental impact statement.

Dominion Resources Inc. has a green light to test a new licensing process that could lead to one or more new reactors at the Louisa County site. Richmond-based Dominion maintains, however, it has no plans to add a reactor at its North Anna station.

Dominion applied to the NRC in September 2003 for an early site permit that would allow it to build one or more new reactors on the shore of Lake Anna within 20 years. The company said it wants to have the option to add a reactor should market conditions make it desirable to expand its energy production.

Dominion is the parent company of Dominion Virginia Power.