Duke Energy Progress shut down the Shearon Harris nuclear plant near Jordan Lake in southern Wake County Wednesday after an inspection revealed early signs of corrosion and cracking in the reactor vessel – which contains the plant’s nuclear fuel.
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Climate Convergence on Raleigh
‘Flaw’ forces shutdown of Harris nuclear plant — WNCN
“It’s premature for the company to assure the public that there was no safety hazard at this point. This is a reactor vessel that has very high pressures pushing outward,” said NC WARN’s Jim Warren. Warren said the plant being shut down could cost Duke Energy $1 million a day. Warren believes Duke Energy will put the bill on its customers.
Crack forces shutdown of nuclear reactor at Shearon Harris — WRAL
Discrepancies in Duke Energy’s 20-year Plan Require Full Hearing, Cross Examination — News Release from NC WARN
In a motion filed yesterday, NC WARN, Greenpeace and the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League thanked the NC Utilities Commission for its May 10 order questioning Duke’s compliance with state rules requiring “the least cost mix of generation and demand‑reduction measures which is achievable” and called on state regulators to schedule full hearings over discrepancies between statutory requirements, Duke’s official filings and public statements made by CEO Jim Rogers.
Duke Energy CEO calls for competitive bids for NC solar sales — Charlotte Business Journal
N.C. Utilities Commission Challenges Duke Energy on Long-Term Plan
Greenpeace, NC WARN and NC Interfaith Power and Light thank the North Carolina Utilities Commission for challenging Duke Energy to provide an explanation for why the company is not pursuing energy efficiency and renewable energy that would result in lower rates for North Carolina’s families and small businesses.
Duke suspends plans for Shearon Harris expansion — WRAL
Duke Energy notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Thursday that it is suspending its application to build new reactors at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant. NC WARN welcomed the announcement but scolded the utility for wasting millions of dollars that could have been spent on energy-saving programs. “The Shearon Harris failure perfectly typifies why the U.S. nuclear ‘renaissance’ is making global warming worse,” Executive Director Jim Warren said in a statement.
Demise of New Harris Nukes is an Important Public Victory toward a Clean Energy Revolution — News Release from NC WARN
Duke Energy’s cancellation yesterday of licensing efforts to build two nuclear reactors at subsidiary Progress Energy’s Harris nuclear plant is good news – but it comes with a taint. Duke-Progress threw away eight years and $70 million – while blocking widespread advances in energy-saving programs, solar and wind, and combined heat and power.
Duke Energy will ask customers to pay for canceled reactors — The News & Observer
When Progress Energy applied for a rate increase last fall, the request didn’t include $70 million the Raleigh electric utility had spent on a planned addition of two reactors at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant in Wake County. But Duke Energy, which acquired Progress last summer, plans to recover those costs and pass them on to customers, Duke CEO Jim Rogers told investors Friday. Rogers revealed the company’s intentions a day after Charlotte-based Duke announced it is canceling the Shearon Harris expansion.