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INSIDE Business » The Plain Dealer » Market Updates » Biz Flash » Technology » Personal Finance » Autos » Beyond The Bull » Forums  .gif){kind=small}
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Business News
Second Perry nuclear plant one option for FirstEnergy 05/15/01 A renewed interest in nuclear power could prompt FirstEnergy Corp. to consider restarting construction of the Perry 2 nuclear plant. President Bush is expected to unveil an energy plan this week that promotes more construction of power plants, including nuclear plants. Utilities will be examining the plan closely to see how it will affect their needs. Some, including FirstEnergy, supplier to much of northern Ohio, may consider applying to use more nuclear power, something high costs and regulations have prevented for many years. But for that to happen the federal government must streamline the approval process and solve the thorny issue of where spent nuclear fuel can be stored. "My understanding is there are technologically feasible solutions to the waste problem," said Brant Eldridge, executive manager of the East Central Area Reliability Council, a multistate organization that includes Ohio. The organization is intended to manage the reliability of the region's electricity supply. Whether utilities develop additional nuclear capacity at this point, he said, is basically a political issue. FirstEnergy already has three nuclear power plants. Perry 1 is a single unit licensed until 2026, while Davis-Besse is a single unit licensed to 2017. The third plant, Beaver Valley near Pittsburgh, has two units, one licensed until 2016 and the other until 2026. FirstEnergy could look to add nuclear production, depending on what the Bush administration has to say. The utility abandoned construction on its Perry 2 unit in 1985 because the expense had become a burden to the company and because projections for future power needs at the time had decreased. "We have no plans with respect to Perry 2 at this point," DiNicola said. Even if FirstEnergy could proceed, the decision to develop further nuclear power will go up against other options. It could still make better economic sense to build a coal-fired plant, add peaking plants that run on natural gas or buy electricity on the open market. PETER KROUSE
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