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TALLAHASSEE ? Governor Charlie Crist, Attorney General Bill McCollum and
Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, serving as the Siting Board, today
unanimously approved Progress Energy Florida?s site request for construction of
a nuclear facility on a 3,105-acre location in Levy County. The Levy Nuclear
Plant is the first nuclear facility approved in Florida since 1976.
?Today?s decision proves that Florida is on the right path toward achieving
energy diversity and independence,? said Governor Crist. ?I applaud Progress
Energy Florida for its commitment to producing alternative energy options,
creating jobs and protecting our environment for future generations.?
A need for the facility, which will consist of two 1,100 megawatt nuclear
powered units, was determined by the Florida Public Service Commission last
August. On December 18, 2008, Progress Energy announced it would discontinue
coal use at its existing coal-fired units known as Crystal River 1 and 2 with
Levy Nuclear Units 1 and 2. The Siting Board?s approval of the Levy Nuclear
Plant includes a requirement for the coal-fired units to be discontinued by
December 31, 2020, assuming timely licensing and construction.
?Today?s approval by the Siting Board is a significant step in the process to
construct and operate the facility,? said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. ?We are
pleased that Florida companies are seeing the value of a clean and diverse
energy future and are investing in energy technologies to help preserve and
protect our state?s valuable natural resources.?
Federal approvals and permits required prior to construction include National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, Prevention of Significant Deterioration
(PSD), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Progress Energy has already received the PSD permit and all others are currently
under review.
?This is an important milestone for the proposed Levy plant,? said Vincent M.
Dolan, Progress Energy Florida?s president and chief executive officer.
?Carbon-free nuclear power is a strategic asset in our statewide effort to
become energy-independent, to reduce our reliance on more volatile-priced fossil
fuels, and to provide a balanced approach to meet the challenges of growth and
climate change.?
Prior to the Governor and Cabinet?s issuing site certifications, DEP?s Siting
Office reviews applications for power plants, transmission lines, and natural
gas pipelines as well as coordinates certification of those facilities. The
Siting Office recently launched a redesigned Web site providing streamlined
access to locate and monitor site certification applications in one simple
location. For more information about DEP?s Siting Office or to view the
redesigned Web site, visit
www.dep.state.fl.us/siting.
Nuclear power plants produce electricity through a heat-generating process
know as fission, in which neutrons split uranium atoms to produce large amount
of energy. These facilities produce minimal carbon dioxide emissions, which
contribute to climate change. In the United States, more than 100 nuclear
reactors supply roughly 20 percent of the nation?s electricity. To learn more
about nuclear power plants, visit
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/power.html.
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2012 State of Florida