Costs of building new nuclear power plants explode

Various: The increasing cost of concrete, steel, copper, labor and impact of the weakening dollar on nuclear technology purchases, is having a knock-on effect on plans to build new nuclear power plants in the US. According to the The Tampa Tribune, the electrical utility Progress Energy Florida, which is planning to build two nuclear reactors in Levy County may see costs approach two to three times their original estimate. Similar costs increases at some of the other sites for building nuclear reactors, may scuttle the so-called nuclear renaissance. In Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that negotiations between nuclear power plant builder Westinghouse and Georgia Power almost collapsed two weeks ago due to new concern over price increases.