| WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The U.S. Energy
Department on Tuesday applauded nuclear energy regulators for
approving an early site permit for
Entergy
Corp.'s (ETR) Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in
Mississippi.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval marks the second time
this month the agency has signed off on an early site permit.
Chicago-based
Exelon
Corp. ( EXC) won approval for an early site permit in
early March.
The permits don't authorize construction but address
environmental and emergency-related issues.
Entergy's
permit culminates a four-year, cost-shared project with DOE and
Entergy
aimed at demonstrating the new licensing process for citing new
nuclear plants.
"The Department of Energy is proud to foster an environment where
nuclear power - a safe and emissions-free source of energy - can
begin to thrive," Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman said in a notice
Tuesday. "We're seeing a lot of momentum in the nuclear world; while
promoting nuclear energy is good policy for government, it can also
be good business."
"NRC approval of two Early Site Permits in just one month
represents a major accomplishment in the Bush administration's
effort to improve the nuclear regulatory processes while still
demonstrating its effectiveness," Bodman continued.
Dominion Resources Inc. (D), and
Southern Co.
(SO) have also submitted early site permits for nuclear plants to
the NRC.
The NRC holds numerous public hearings and evaluates the
environmental suitability of a proposed site before granting an
early site permit.
-By Maya Jackson Randall, Dow Jones Newswires;
202-862-9263; Maya.Jackson-
Randall@dowjones.com
Copyright (c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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