US: Exelon Withdraws Victoria Licensing Request

Exelon, the largest nuclear operator in the US, has decided to withdraw the application for an Early Site Permit (ESP) for new nuclear construction in Victoria County, Texas. In a statement dated 28 August 2012, the company stated: “The action is in response to low natural gas prices and economic and market conditions that have made construction of new merchant nuclear power plants in competitive markets uneconomical now and for the foreseeable future.” Exelon had originally submitted an application for a combined Construction and Operating License (COL) for the Victoria site in 2008 but limited the licensing strategy to an ESP in 2010. The withdrawal of the ESP application “brings an end to all project activity”, the company stated.