ML042090232
| ML042090232 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 09/11/2003 |
| From: | Robert Williams Vermont Yankee |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2004-0267 | |
| Download: ML042090232 (2) | |
Text
Sienel, Beth From:
Williams, Rob Sent:
Thursday, September 11, 2003 8:34 AM To:
VTY -All Users
Subject:
VY News Release on Uprate Filing September 10, 2003 Vermont Yankee Files Power Uprate Request With U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Brattleboro, Vt. - Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee today filed with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) a request to amend the plant's operating license to allow production of an additional 110 megawatts for the regional power grid.
The formal request for the 20% increase in plant electrical output was preceeded by ten months of engineering analysis of the plant systems by Vermont Yankee as well as the General Electric Corporation, the original designer and manufacturer of the plant's key components.
The request was supported by a comprehensive safety analysis that involved the work of more than 60 Vermont Yankee engineers in addition to plant operations and support personnel.
The power uprate and the additional generating capacity of 110 megawatts will have benefits for the region in making the additional base load power available without new power plant construction, without new power lines and without increased use of fossil fuels.
The cost of the uprate is being borne entirely by Entergy Nuclear.
Jay Thayer, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee site vice president, said the filing represents a major effort by the company to help ensure the region's future energy security. "Our investment in the uprate project is one example of our confidence to invest in this well-designed, well-run, and well-maintained plant. The Vermont Yankee plant is well suited for an uprate."
Most nuclear power plants across the country have been uprated to some extent and eight plants have been approved for uprates of at least 17 % and higher. Four U.S. plants have been approved for a total of 20% uprates.
The uprate analyses filed today will now be subject to separate independent reviews by the USNRC and by the independent federal Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS). The comprehensive reviews of the 350-page submittal could take up to a year to complete. The independent reviews at the federal level will encompass all safety aspects including the structural, mechanical, electrical and nuclear engineering associated with the proposal as well as the operational changes that will be put in place with the uprate. The NRC review will culminate in an NRC safety evaluation report which will serve as the basis for an NRC-staff approval decision.
The ACRS will also independently evaluate the NRC-staff safety evaluation and advise the full Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The federal regulatory approval process is expected to be completed during the Summer of 2004. During the year-long process, Vermont Yankee will participate in periodic meetings with the NRC and will respond to their comments and requests for additional information.
The Vermont Public Service Board is in the process of reviewing the uprate proposal in terms of the benefits to the state of Vermont. That review is expected to be completed later this year.
Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production, retail distribution operations, energy marketing and trading, and gas transportation. Entergy owns and operates power plants with about 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy operates five reactors at four locations in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana under regulatory jurisdictions and five reactors at four sites in Massachusetts, New York and Vermont.
The followin g constitutes a "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Investors are cautioned thatfonvard-looking statements contained in theforegoing release with respect to the revenues, earnings, perfornance, strategies, prospects and other aspects of the business of Entergy Corporation may involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may, for a variety of reasons, prove to be materially different from those indicated in thesefonward-looking statements, estimates and projections.
Factors that could influence actualfiuture outcomes include regulatory decisions, the effects of changes in lav, the evolution of markets and competition, changes in accounting, weather, the performance of generating units, fuel prices and availability, financial markets, risks associated with businesses conducted in foreign countries, changes in business plan, the presence of competitors with greaterfinancial resources and the impact of competitive products and pricing: the effect of the Entergy Corporation's policies, including tile amount and rate of growth of Entergy Corporation's expenses: the continued availability to Entergy Corporation of adequatefiunding sources and changes in interest rates; delays or difficulties in the production, delivery or installation of products and the provision of services; and various legal, regulatory and litigation risks. Entergy Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any fonrard-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, fiture events or othenrise. For a more detailed discussion of some of the foregoing risks and uncertainties, see Entergy Corporation'sfilings wvith the Securities and Exchange Commission.
2