Ohio Greens Oppose New Nukes in Buckeye State
The Ohio Green Party opposes Governor Ted Strickland’s plan to bring in a third Nuclear Power Station into the Buckeye State. We believe more interest and development should be to encourage renewable energy sources and companies to begin manufacturing solar, wind, and geothermal power in Ohio instead.
* Ohio EPR is Areva’s eighth such project in United States
* EPR plants generally cost around 5 billion euros
By Marie Maitre
PARIS, June 18 (Reuters) – French group Areva SA (CEPFi.PA) will sign an agreement on Thursday to start exclusive talks with U.S. power group Duke Energy Corp (DUK.N) to build a new generation nuclear reactor in Ohio, said a source close to the situation.
“The companies will enter into exclusive talks for the development of an EPR reactor on the Piketon site (in Ohio)”, the source told Reuters. The source, who asked not to be named, said the chief executive of Areva, Anne Lauvergeon, would sign an agreement on the site just before midday local time, with executives of Duke Energy and other partners in the project.
“Areva has 18 months to prepare documents, notably the early site permit, and a combined construction and operating licence,” the source said, adding Areva and Duke would partner with Unistar Nuclear Energy, a joint venture between French power group EDF (EDF.PA) and Constellation Energy Group (CEG.N), and uranium enrichment specialist USEC (USU.N).
Duke Energy will organize a bid open to Areva’s competitors, as requested by law, but the source said: “What is sure is that Duke will talk to no one else for 18 months.”
The source said if a deal had not been entirely reached by the end of 2010, Areva and Duke Energy may decide to extend their negotiations beyond this date.
Areva is in the process of having its EPR technology certified in the United States before it can go ahead with eight planned U.S. projects including Piketon.
The new U.S. administration is hoping to pass a bill that aims to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases 20 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050, by promoting energies such as nuclear, wind and solar power.
Areva, a state-controlled nuclear reactor supplier, is building four EPR reactors around the world, one in Finland, one in France and two in China. Such plants generally cost around 5 billion euros ($7 billion) to build. (Editing by Jon Loades-Carter and David Holmes) ($1 = 0.7165 euro)
