Dominion selects potential nuclear reactor

VIRGINIA - Energy company Dominion Resources Inc. said it has selected a nuclear reactor for a potential third unit at its North Anna Power Station in central Virginia.

The Richmond company said it has selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industry's Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor technology for the project following a competitive bidding process. CEO Thomas F. Farrell II said the reactor would produce a substantial amount of electricity with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions.

The reactor also meets all analyzed and permitted environmental requirements for the site, he said.

Dominion has not yet decided to build a new nuclear unit at the plant but expects to make a decision later this year. If it decides to go forward, the company expects the reactor would be on line by the end of the decade, said spokesman Richard Zuercher.

It also must first get a combined operating license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and approval from the Virginia State Corporation Commission. Federal regulators in 2007 approved an early site permit for a new reactor at the plant about 60 miles north of Richmond. The NRC has not granted a new construction license since 1978.

The Mitsubishi technology currently is undergoing the certification process from the nuclear agency. Mitsubishi says the reactor could generate up 1,700 megawatts net of electricity, but the output for the North Anna facility would likely be lower based on its environmental approvals.

The possible third reactor has been opposed by several environmental groups who say that another reactor is unnecessary at a time when utilities should be exploring alternative energy sources and that it would present a new target for terrorists.

The Lake Anna area, where the North Anna Power Station is situated, is bordered by Spotsylvania, Louisa and Orange counties. Surrounded by thousands of homes, it is a recreational draw in central Virginia.

Subsidiary Dominion Virginia Power owns and operates two nuclear power stations Virginia, and the company said it has 40-plus years experience with pressurized water reactors.

Dominion produces electricity, natural gas and oil and has the nation's largest natural gas storage system. It operates in 14 states and serves retail energy customers in a dozen states.