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The JEA Board of Directors approved the pursuit of nuclear energy partnerships at their March meeting with the goal of providing 10 percent of JEA’s power from nuclear sources. That is the equivalent of approximately 300 megawatts of capacity. Adding power from nuclear sources to JEA’s portfolio is part of a strategy to make the utility less dependent upon fossil fuels.
The Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG) is developing a nuclear plant with Georgia Power that would be one of the first new plants licensed in the U.S. in decades. It is an expansion of the existing Vogtle nuclear complex outside of Augusta, Georgia. JEA has been selected by MEAG to enter final negotiations for the right to purchase a percentage of the power to be produced by the new reactors at Vogtle. In April, the Board authorized Chief Executive Officer Jim Dickenson to complete purchase power agreement negotiations for nuclear energy.
Nuclear power is an alternative that will lower JEA’s overall carbon footprint according to Gregg Quick, JEA’s director of corporate planning. Since nuclear power plants do not burn fuel, there are virtually no air emissions. Air emissions include greenhouse gases that may contribute to global climate change. Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the nation’s electricity and is the number one source of emission-free electricity. There are 104 nuclear reactors currently in operation in the U.S. today.*
*Nuclear Energy Institute
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