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PHOENIX (The Associated Press) - May 18
The operator of the nation's largest nuclear power plant is considering adding two new reactors to the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station to meet the region's skyrocketing power needs. "Over the next 10 years, we estimate our customers' electric demand will grow by about 3,000 megawatts," Pinnacle Chairman Bill Post told investors. "To put that in perspective, it's equivalent to three times our share of Palo Verde." The possible nuclear plant expansion is one of several options the Phoenix-based utility will study or pursue, Post said. APS already plans to spend nearly $5 billion over the next five years building new power lines and generating plants. Included in the plan is a high-voltage transmission line from Arizona to southwestern Wyoming designed to tap into low-cost coal and wind resources. Also planned are uses of new coal technology and more renewable resources such as solar, geothermal and wind, as well as conservation programs. The three-reactor Palo Verde plant, 50 miles west of Phoenix, can produce more than 3,800 megawatts of electricity. APS owns 29 percent of the plant, with the rest owned by other utilities in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California. "Now, we do not plan to build three more Palo Verdes. However, we are having initial discussions to determine the feasibility of expanding the site to its original design for five units." Although APS runs the plant, a committee that includes representatives of all the owners must approve major financial decisions. Any new construction would likely face significant political and financial issues. Palo Verde is the youngest U.S. nuclear power plant built, with two of its reactors going online in 1986 and the third in 1988. Several utilities and state and local governments have proposed building a new generation of nuclear power plants, and the Bush administration has promoted nuclear energy as a part of the nation's energy future. Expanding Palo Verde must be among the options considered if the region's growing power needs are to be met, a state power regulator said. "The bottom line is we're not going to have the power we need in 10 years," said Jeff Hatch-Miller, chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities. "We will need some mixture of nuclear, coal or natural gas. We can integrate as much renewable energy as possible, but we must make sure we can turn on air-conditioners on a July afternoon." ___ Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com |
APS weighing two new reactors at Palo Verde nuke plant