FILE - The reactor building at the Crystal River Nuclear Plant seen during a tour held for broadcast and print media, in Crystal River, Fla., Tuesday, June 14, 2011. Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke Energy said Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013 it will permanently close its Crystal River Nuclear Plant north of Tampa, after botched repairs and use $835 million from an insurance settlement to refund consumers forced to pay for higher-cost replacement power. The nuclear plant o has been shut down since 2009, when its concrete containment building cracked during a maintenance and upgrade project.(AP Photo/Will Vragovic, Pool, File)
Some leaders souring on nuclear power costs
Published: 05:25:34 PM, Sun 03 March 2013 UTC
ATLANTA (AP) — As the cost of building a new nuclear plant soars, there are signs of buyer's remorse.
The second-guessing from officials in Georgia and Florida is a sign that maybe the nation is not quite ready for a nuclear renaissance. On top of construction costs running much higher than expected, the price of natural gas has plummeted, making it tough for nuclear plants to compete in the energy market.
In Georgia, a lawmaker wants to penalize Southern Co. for going over budget with a proposal to cut into its profits by trimming some of the money a subsidiary makes.
In Florida, some lawmakers want to end the practice of utilities collecting fees from customers before any electricity is produced. The fees are used to build or expand nuclear plants.
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