The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved an Early Site Permit for Dominion’s North Anna Power Station. Dominion now has 20 years to seek NRC approval for a Combined License to build one or more nuclear plants there before it can start construction. Dominion expects to file the Combined License application by the end of the year. Read more details here.
Good. Nukes make sense for Virginia’s energy policy. If we’re going to shift automobiles from gasoline combustion to electric power, nuclear power may be the most cost-efficient way to go. That doesn’t obviate the need to conserve energy or evolve toward more transportation-efficient human settlement patterns, but it’s an important piece of the puzzle.
Update: After reflecting upon reader comments, I have modified this post slightly, from saying that nukes “are” the most cost-effective way to go to saying that they “may be” the best way to go. The key issue is risk assurance. If state and federal governments absorb the substantial risks associated with nuclear energy — the huge capital costs and long-term payback, the cost of insurance — then nukes aren’t competing on an equal playing field with other energy sources. Nukes need to stand on their own.