3 + 4 = 1 nuclear fleet

It all adds up. With our recent merger, three legacy Duke Energy and four former Progress Energy nuclear plants have combined to create the largest regulated nuclear fleet in the U.S. Excluding the Crystal River Nuclear Plant in Florida, which is preparing for decommissioning, Duke Energy now operates more than 10,000 megawatts of nuclear generating capacity. The other six nuclear sites are located in the Carolinas.

Both Duke Energy and Progress Energy have long histories of operating nuclear plants safely and reliably — for more than 40 years. Robinson Nuclear Plant was the first of the fleet to begin commercial operation in 1971, soon followed by Oconee Nuclear Station’s three units.

A key priority going forward is the seamless integration of our nuclear plants into one strong and cohesive fleet. Our highly skilled and talented team of nearly 7,000 nuclear professionals is continuously focused on internalizing and sharing best practices in safety, reliability and efficiency.

Efficient and reliable power

Our operational performance for the combined fleet was strong in 2012. Our nuclear capacity factor was 90.4 percent (excluding the Crystal River plant, which has been out of operation since 2009). That achievement marked the 14th consecutive year Duke Energy nuclear plants have topped 90 percent.

For our customers, that means efficient and reliable power, particularly during the hot summer months when they need it most — while reducing the need to operate less-efficient and higher-emitting generating stations.

To meet future electricity demands, we have submitted license applications for potential new nuclear generating units in Cherokee County, S.C., Levy County, Fla., and Wake County, N.C. We anticipated receiving our construction and operating licenses for Cherokee and Levy in the 2013 time frame, but now expect industrywide regulatory issues to delay those dates. The timeline for licensing the potential new units in Wake County, N.C., is further in the future.

Industry issues

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has put a hold on approving nuclear construction as it addresses issues from a June 2012 federal court ruling. The NRC is now required to consider the consequences of the lack of a permanent storage site for the nation’s spent nuclear fuel.

Since the Fukushima events in 2011, Duke Energy and other U.S. nuclear plant operators have worked through industry organizations (the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and the Electric Power Research Institute) to identify and put in place additional safety measures to protect against severe earthquakes, floods and other events. In addition, the NRC imposed new safety requirements in the wake of Fukushima, and Duke Energy is making plant modifications and other changes to meet those requirements. We continue to work with our industry peers and the NRC to ensure the highest levels of safety at our nuclear plants.

Carbon-free nuclear

Nuclear energy, one of the world’s cleanest power generation technologies, is the only source that can reliably and efficiently produce electricity 24/7 with no greenhouse-gas emissions. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, each year, nuclear energy prevents the emission of 650 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) — nearly as much CO₂ as is released from all U.S. passenger cars — by replacing fossil-fueled electricity.