November 10, 2004
Plans are in the works to renovate the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant, one
of the oldest in the country. Replacing some major equipment will make the
facility more efficient and help keep costs down for OPPD customers.
The plant has operated safely for 31 years and officials hope to operate safely
for many years to come. In order to do that, the plant will be rebuilt with
millions of dollars of new, more efficient equipment. "It was the least cost
option for OPPD," said OPPD's Ross Ridenoure. "We looked at the option of
building a new coal-fired plant compared with the upgrading we're doing and it
was simply less expensive."
The turbines help generate enough electricity to light up hundreds of thousands
of homes. Major parts of the plant to be replaced are the turbines, condenser,
and the heart of the plant, the steam generator, about $300 million in new
equipment. The renovation will be expensive, but it will keep the cost of
electricity down and prevent us from relying on other sources of energy. "What
it means to our customers is we continue to provide them with a very reliable
and safe source of electricity, but it also allows us to change the mix of
generating electricity," said Ridenoure. "We don't want to over rely on fossil
fuels like coal, oil, or gas. It's really good from a cost, 'cause uranium is
fairly cheap."
There are many countries that use atomic energy to generate electricity, like
Lithuania where 81% of the electricity produced comes from atomic energy. The
United States is far down the list, using atomic energy to produce only 20% of
the country's electricity. Extending the life of the Fort Calhoun facility will
help reduce our dependence on other energy sources and OPPD officials say it
will also help keep our electricity cost down. "The single biggest reason why
the life of Fort Calhoun was extended along with these renovations 'cause it was
the least cost option for OPPD." OPPD currently charges its customers 20% below
the national average. Its goal is to keep it in that range.
Renovation should start in February and be completed by the fall of 2006. With
the improvements, Fort Calhoun will be licensed to operate until 2033.