Constellation Vitality mentioned the corporate is making use of for federal funding because it evaluates whether or not to place a number of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) at its 9 Mile Level nuclear energy plant in New York.
Constellation in a information launch on Jan. 15 mentioned the New York State Vitality Analysis and Growth Authority (NYSERDA) has joined the utility on a grant proposal to the U.S. Dept. of Vitality (DOE). Constellation needs to acquire an early website allow from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Fee (NRC) for the undertaking.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul acknowledged the undertaking in her State of the State speech on Jan. 14, saying her administration helps the request. “New York State will … help an software by Constellation Vitality, the proprietor of New York’s working nuclear vegetation, to the USA Division of Vitality for a planning grant to discover the potential of bringing a small modular reactor on-line,” Hochul mentioned.
Constellation, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and which lately introduced a multi-billion deal to accumulate Texas-based vitality supplier Calpine, operates 4 reactors in New York State. The utility has two utility-scale reactors at 9 Mile Level in Oswego County, with a complete 1,850 MW of technology capability. It has a single, 842-MW reactor on the James A. FitzPatrick Clear Vitality Middle in Oswego County, and a 576-MW reactor on the R.E. Ginna Clear Vitality Middle in Ontario, in Wayne County.
Constellation has 21 reactors within the U.S. and is the nation’s largest nuclear energy operator.
“We admire the governor’s management and New York’s ongoing help for nuclear vitality, which produces greater than 20% of the state’s vitality, supporting thousands and thousands of households and companies and using 1000’s of hardworking ladies and men in family-sustaining jobs,” mentioned Joe Dominguez, Constellation’s president and CEO, in an announcement. “Constellation has beforehand labored with NYSERDA to develop main clear hydrogen manufacturing and gas cell applied sciences utilizing nuclear energy. Now, NYSERDA and Constellation are as soon as once more becoming a member of along with a dedication to discover superior nuclear vitality applied sciences and proceed the significant progress towards New York’s clear vitality and financial growth targets.”
Constellation’s three upstate nuclear energy vegetation provide about half of New York’s electrical energy. The corporate in a information launch on Wednesday wrote: “NYSERDA’s value share funding is a essential first step in serving to to find out whether or not new nuclear can change into a actuality in New York, creating 1000’s of jobs and serving to the state obtain its clear vitality and reliability targets at a time of rising electrical energy demand.”
Funding from the DOE, if permitted, could be used towards securing the early website allow from the NRC. Constellation mentioned the allow is legitimate for 10 to twenty years, and the corporate can apply for a development and working license at any time throughout the allow interval. A call from the DOE is anticipated in just a few months.
There are presently no business SMRs working within the U.S., although a number of corporations are engaged on the know-how. Constellation holds a minority curiosity in Rolls-Royce SMR, and is working with that firm to deploy a fleet of SMRs within the Netherlands.
China and Russia at current have the one commercially working SMRs worldwide.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
