Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland recently joined executives from Duke Energy, Charlotte, N.C.; AREVA, Bethesda, Md.; USEC, Bethesda, Md.; UniStar Nuclear Energy, Baltimore; and the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI), Piketon, Ohio, to announce the formation of an alliance to pursue the development of America's first clean energy park project at a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) site in Piketon, Ohio. Known as the Southern Ohio Clean Energy Park Alliance, the partnership will evaluate the DOE Portsmouth site in Piketon, Ohio, as a potential location for a new nuclear power plant, including preparing a plant-siting study and licensing documents for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
The alliance will work to ensure the successful completion of this demonstration project, which would establish a model for future commercial investment and cooperation with local communities and the federal government at other DOE sites. The partnership is requesting DOE funding for the initial phase of the project, which would include development of a generic Early Site Permit and review of site decommissioning plans.