"After 20 Years Of Nuclear Dormancy, A New Reactor Emerges In The US"

"The 1,150-megawatt [TVA Watts Bar Unit 2] generator, four decades in the making, is now producing electricity for to 650,000 homes and businesses in southern Tennessee."

"In many American cities, nuclear power plants are rapidly shutting down. But in others, they’re just now popping up.

After more than four decades of intermittent construction, a new reactor has begun commercial operation in Tennessee. Watts Bar Unit 2, built and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), is the country’s 100th nuclear generator and the first new one in 20 years. The 1,150-megawatt generator, which was originally connected to the power grid in June, is now producing electricity for to 650,000 homes and businesses in Tennessee’s southeast corner.

The opening of a new nuclear power plant amid closures of existing plants is a reflection of the mixed views of nuclear energy in the United States. While opponents caution that nuclear power comes with risks of meltdown that cannot be ignored, to advocates – including some environmentalists – nuclear power represents a clean and inexpensive source of energy and a vital transitional fuel that can help the US move away from fossil fuels and achieve energy independence."

Joseph Dussault reports for the Christian Science Monitor October 20, 2016.

SEE ALSO:

"Waste, Families Left Behind As Nuclear Plants Close" (NPR)