Nuclear Regulatory Commission Grants First New Plant Construction License Since 1978

摘要

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted Feb. 9 to grant a license to Atlanta-based Southern Co. for two new reactors in Georgia -the first new nuclear plant construction -approved by NRC since 1978. The NRC approved a "combined construction and operating license" for Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4, the first such license ever approved for a U.S. nuclear plant. Receipt of the license allows full construction to begin. The Vogtle project is being viewed as a test of whether the nuclear power industry can build plants without the delays and cost overruns that were common in earlier construction cycles.