By Gary Mignogna, CEO, AREVA Inc.
It’s a new morning for nuclear energy in the United States. Early Tuesday at 2:16 a.m., the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) successfully sustained nuclear fission at its Watts Bar 2 nuclear energy facility. This morning, Watts Bar 2 progressed to Mode 1 at 3:33 a.m. as America’s newest nuclear power producer.
Image: TVA
Once Watts Bar 2 is at full operation, its steady output of 1,150 megawatts represents low-carbon electricity for 650,000 homes in the Tennessee Valley. The new operations also generate an increase in local employment, with Watts Bar 2 adding another 200 employees to bring the overall facility’s workforce to around 950 skilled and professional workers.
We congratulate TVA on this significant progress and the accomplishment of generating the first new nuclear energy of the 21st century.
