TVA Nuclear Plans: The future is not clear.

TVA has issued its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP): TVA’s Environmental and Energy Future. Rather than offering a single plan, this document suggests a range of options between now and 2029. TVA views itself as having nuclear options that range between 1,150 MWs and 5900 MWe during that time span. it is possible that TVA may not be laying all of its nuclear cards on the table. The IRP suggests that during the time frame TVA could build as many as 5 reactors including the Watts Barn Unit 2 NPP. Other units include Bellefonte 1 and 2 which could be completed by 2020 under TVA's most ambitious projection. Two AP-1000s are projected for the 2020's. No mention is made of small reactors, even though TVA has indicated that it plans to build up to 6 B&W mPower reactors near Oak Ridge, starting about 2018. At least one of the Oak Ridge mPower reactors is expected to be financed by the Department of Energy and dedicated to producing electricity for ORNL's super computers.

It should be assumed that had the plan to build mPower reactors fallen by the wayside that would have been already announced. Thus we need to ask, how serious is the TVA IRP? The answer would seem to be, not very.