HOLLYWOOD, Ala. -- Two decades after construction was halted here, the Tennessee Valley Authority today asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reinstate the construction permits for its two unfinished nuclear units at the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant site.

TVA announced the decision as part of a new study planned to consider whether it makes sense to finish two reactors, which TVA began building in 1974.

TVA spokesman John Moulton said no decision has been made to complete the Bellefonte units or to add any base load generating units beyond completing Unit 2 at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Spring City, Tenn. But he said power supply studies show that additional generation is needed every five to seven years to meet the growing power demand in the Tennessee Valley.

“We intend to thoroughly explore potential power supply sources to determine the best and most cost-effective methods of meeting future power needs in the Tennessee Valley,” TVA Chief Operating Officer Bill McCollum said in a prepared statement. “That includes energy efficiency and demand reduction, which we are currently pursuing aggressively, as well as adding new generating units as the demand for power grows.“

TVA also is continuing to support NuStart and pursue a combined operating license for two advanced-design nuclear units at Bellefonte as its primary option for providing needed generating capacity for the future.

Ashok Bhatnagar, senior vice president of nuclear generation development, said the renewed construction permits would allow TVA to place the units in a deferred status again with the NRC.

”Reinstating the permits now would help TVA clarify the regulatory requirements and continue to evaluate the feasibility of using Units 1 and 2 to meet future base load power demand,” he said.

See tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press for complete coverage.