Dive Brief:
- Two nuclear units proposed by Florida Power & Light are unlikely to be built, according to the mayor of Miami-Dade County, where the expansion to the existing Turkey Point facility is planned.
- FPL is currently seeking to relicense the two existing Turkey Point units, potentially allowing them to operate for another two decades. A proposed expansion could add 2 GW and cost $20 billion.
- But in January, Mayor Carlos Giménez sent a letter to the Board of County Commissioners regarding water reclamation at Turkey Point, noting that "conditions have changed" and the expansion "will not be constructed in the foreseeable future."
Dive Insight:
Miami Today reports on FPL's decision to shelve the nuclear expansion. The utility will continue with the permitting process, but cheap gas means the economics of an expansion just don't make sense.
FPL Senior Director Steven Scroggs told the site "the economics don’t support us moving forward with the new units in the foreseeable future."
It has become a familiar refrain of cheap natural gas forcing a variety of older plants out of the market and proposed capacity to be abandoned. Just last week, Calpine Corp. asked California regulators to suspend its application for a 255-MW gas fired plant, citing a lack of energy demand and changes to state policies as the primary factors.
But the news about FPL's decision also comes as the utility is launching a campaign to renew licenses for the existing reactors.
FPL is the first to apply for a second license extension. The two reactors began producing electricity in 1972 and 1973, and a new license would allow them to operate until 2052 and 2053.
There have been past concerns about the facility. Two years ago, Turkey Point faced scrutiny after a plume of salty water leaked from the plant. The plant is located about 24 miles south of Miami and generates 1.6 GW.
The proposed expansion has also faced setbacks and been delayed by a court challenge.
