Crystal River Nuclear Plant, Owned By Duke Energy, Closing Due To Botched Repairs

[bananas]

Source: Associated Press

The largest U.S. electricity company said Tuesday it will permanently close a Florida nuclear power plant after botched repairs and use $835 million from an insurance settlement to refund consumers forced to pay for higher-cost replacement power.

But Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke Energy also said it will seek to recoup from customers its $1.65 billion investment in the Crystal River Nuclear Plant, about 70 miles north of Tampa. The company said it is starting a closing process that may take 60 years before the nuclear site is decontaminated and dismantled and considering whether to build a new, natural-gas-fueled power plant to replace the power lost.

The nuclear plant operated by Duke Energy subsidiary Progress Energy Florida has been shut down since 2009, when its concrete containment building cracked during a maintenance and upgrade project. A 2011 repair attempt resulted in new cracks in other parts of the containment structure. Estimates put repair costs at between $1.3 billion and $3.4 billion.

The federal operating license for the nuclear plant, which began operating in 1977, was due to expire at the end of 2016, meaning Duke Energy would have had to wage a regulatory fight to extend its authority to operate.

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Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/05/crystal-river-nuclear-plant-duke-energy_n_2622576.html

[bananas]

1. Seldom, if ever, has an attempt to save $15 million cost so many, so much.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/duke-energy-announces-closing-of-crystal-river-nuclear-power-plant/1273794

Duke Energy announces closing of Crystal River nuclear power plant

By Ivan Penn, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Feb 05, 2013 08:26 AM

Seldom, if ever, has an attempt to save $15 million cost so many, so much.

Progress Energy tried to self-manage a project in 2009 to replace old steam generators at the Crystal River nuclear facility. The utility's do-it-yourself approach crippled the plant.

On Tuesday came the announcement that it will never reopen.

The 1.6 million customers the plant once served will pay dearly for their utility's mistake, maybe $3 billion when the cost of building a new power plant is included. So will Citrus County and the city of Crystal River. Those governments, and their local economies, will take a thumping. Some of the 600 workers at the plant may lose their jobs.

Duke Energy, which took over the plant after a merger with Progress Energy last July, will fare better. The utility will pocket roughly $100 million.

<snip>

[Fuddnik]

2. Not to mention the (proposed) Levy County nuclear plant.

Just across the Citrus County border.

They've been charging us a 15% surcharge for pre-construction costs for over 5 years. And there's no guarantee that it will ever be built (it shouldn't). Even if it is, it won't come on line for another 20 years, after they break ground.

And they never have to refund our money, if they don't build it.

License to steal.

[SHRED]

3. San Onofre is falling apart also

[mike dub]

4. wow- didn't realize Crystal River was Duke Energy

Our first home in Alachua County, FL, was a little ways northeast of Crystal River. Didn't realize Duke Energy had acquired it.

We now live in North Carolina, and Duke Energy and Progress Carolinas are the competitors around here. E.g., one side of the road is Duke, the other side is Progress.

And a lil off-topic: some manatees love to hang out around CR's warm output canal when it's cold down there.

[Ganja Ninja]

5. One would think that the "Sunshine State" would consider solar power for it's needs ...

but NOOOOOOO.

[d_r]

6. I grew up swimming

in the dredged beach they made from constructing the plant.

[AtheistCrusader]

7. Well, at least they aren't putting it back online with baling wire and duct tape.

[Sancho]

8. and it will cost us $2 billion that we have to pay for while the stock holders made 100 million!

The PSC in Florida were some of the most corrupt appointees of Jeb Bush imaginable (even though Rick Scott is trying to create even more problems as hard as he can). This is what happens when PUBLIC utilities, hospitals, schools, prisons, and damn near everything else is handed over to profiteers...

what a damn mess....