TVA to start 2nd unit at Watts Bar nuclear plant, first new US reactor in 20 years
Dive Brief:
Dive Insight:
- The Tennessee Valley Authority is preparing to start up the new 1,400-MW Watts Bar nuclear plant, adding the first new nuclear power to the United States grid in two decades, Energy Central reports.
- TVA said Unit 2 is expected to reach "initial criticality" in May with commercial operation in summer 2016.
- Simultaneously, the utility is moving ahead with plans to add thousands of MW of wind and solar to its mix, and has issued a request for information from potential project developers.
TVA's carbon-free generation is about to get a boost from both nuclear and renewable energy.
The utility said Power Ascension Testing activities for Watts Bar Unit 2 are ongoing, and that "significant progress has been made the past few months and testing continues to validate that Unit 2 will operate as designed."......MORE
