First American Nuclear Plant In 21st Century To Open Soon

Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) / Nuclear Power - Economics, Design, & Industry

Date posted: 09/17/14

Dr. Conca reports that a nuclear reactor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station in Tennessee is on track to be the first new commercial nuclear power plant in the United States to be completed in this century of five commercial nuclear reactors currently under construction. Over its life-span, this one reactor will produce more electricity than six new combined cycle natural gas plants, or five new coal plants, or thirty of the largest solar arrays in the world, or 10,000 of the big MW wind turbines. The reactor is expected to produce over 700 billion kWhs of extremely low-carbon electricity over its lifetime. Tennessee Valley Authority recently announced that Watts Bar 2 is now over 90 per cent completed, after the fully assembled reactor vessel was installed in August, 2014 - Watts Bar 2. This nuclear plant will be the first nuclear unit to come online in the U.S. since its sister reactor, Watts Bar 1, came on line in 1996, and should begin operation late next year. Completing the reactor will also recoup the original costs that everyone thought were lost those many years ago.