Duke Energy Chief Executive Jim Rogers said Friday he was growing pessimistic about the company's chances of building a nuclear power plant on schedule -- or at all -- because of concern over costs and other issues.
Rogers spoke about his doubts to boost his case for building two coal-fired units for the utility's Cliffside facility 55 miles west of Charlotte. (emphasis added)
"I'm not a true believer. ... We're talking about a renaissance in nuclear. I don't see it," he told members of the N.C. Utilities Commission at a hearing to help determine whether Duke can build the coal-fired units. It was his strongest language yet to commissioners that the proposed nuclear plant might not be built.
Duke had hoped to have the two nuclear reactors at the proposed plant in Cherokee County, S.C., running by 2016 to meet predicted energy demand. But Rogers told the commission in Raleigh that Duke is unlikely to meet that deadline as long as issues of where to store nuclear waste and financial challenges are unresolved. They include the rising costs of building nuclear facilities and getting permission from the state to recover the development costs from ratepayers if the plant is not built.
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Duke has said the planned S.C. nuclear plant, about 55 miles south of Charlotte, would cost $4 billion to $6 billion and take about a decade to build and develop. Company spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said the costs could rise above $6 billion. In an interview after the hearing, Rogers said nuclear plants are becoming more of a challenge to build. "There are scenarios I can imagine that it's not built at all," he said about the company's planned nuclear facility. But he said Duke was still committed to the project.
EDIT
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/16504751.htm
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