FPL seeks to boost nuclear production |
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Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:51
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida Power & Light filed a request Tuesday with state regulators to move forward with two new nuclear reactors at its South Florida power plant.The state's largest electric utility, a unit of Juno Beach-based FPL Group Inc., had already announced that it wanted to expand its nuclear power generating by boosting production at its Turkey Point complex. On Tuesday, it more clearly spelled out those plans in a filing with the state Public Service Commission.Florida Power & Light said that by shifting more of its generating fuel to nuclear, it was meeting customer demand for emission-free electric power, while still moving to satisfy growing needs for more power as the state's energy use grows. The company already has more than 4.3 million customers.'Additional nuclear energy can help supply reliable, affordable power to our customers while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions that scientists have determined contribute to climate change,' Florida Power & Light President Armando Olivera said in a statement.In the filing, the company is essentially asking regulators for a determination that the additional power generating capacity is needed. That's the first step before it can begin to build the new generators, which the company expects to come online by 2020.The company had earlier also asked the commission to approve an expansion of its existing nuclear generating facilities at Turkey Point, south of Miami, and in St. Lucie County. That request is still pending.State regulators turned down the utility earlier this year when the company sought to build a new coal-burning plant in South Florida.The regulatory panel said then that the costs for coal plants in the future weren't certain because of the prospect of additional emissions requirements that might be enacted in the future.Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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