Platts - Tuesday, July 26, 2005 http://www.platts.com ------------ Russian power output ups by 2% to 65TWh in June: state statistics Moscow (Platts)--26Jul2005 Russia's power output amounted to 65.2TWh in June, 2% more than in the same period a year ago but 6.9% less than in May 2005, Russia's federal statistics service said Tuesday. Russia's nuclear power plants produced 10.9TWh in June, up 10.5% on the year. Thermal power plants produced 38.2TWh in June, up 2.2% year-on-year. Hydro power plants generated 16.1TWh, down 3.5% on the same period a year ago, the service said. In total, Russia generated 480.2TWh in the first six months of the year, up 2% on the same period in 2004. For more nuclear news, take a trial to Platts Nucleonics Week at http://nucleonicsweek.platts.com. ------------ DOE favors moving Moab uranium tailings Washington (Platts)--25Jul2005 DOE's preferred option for cleaning up a uranium tailings pile at Moab, Utah is to move the pile by rail to a site at Crescent Junction, Utah. The new site is about 30 miles from the Moab pile, which is located on the banks of the Colorado River. DOE announced its preference today in its final environmental impact statement (EIS) on the Moab project. DOE said it will issue a final decision on which alternative to implement in its record of decision. That will come at least 30 days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issues a notice of availability of the final EIS in the Federal Register. ------------ Millstone-2 and -3 move toward license renewal Washington (Platts)--22Jul2005 Dominion's plan to extend the licenses for Millstone-2 and -3 advanced with the NRC staff's issuance of an environmental impact statement (EIS). The staff concluded that no major environmental impacts preclude operation of the units for 20 additional years. The staff's finding was published in today's Federal Register. The EIS is on NRC's Adams electronic documents system (accession no. ML051960293). NRC plans to issue a decision on Millstone license renewal in July 2006. ------------ Exelon CEO says consumers would see nuclear benefit from merger New York (Platts)--22Jul2005 The merger of Exelon and Public Service Enterprise Group would help consumers by improving PSEG's nuclear plants' operation, and supplying more low-cost power to the wholesale market, Exelon CEO John Rowe said Friday. At a news conference before Exelon's annual meeting in Philadelphia, Rowe agreed that utility customers may not see merger-related rate cuts given that prices for natural gas--a key generating fuel--continue to rise. But by allowing Exelon to operate PSEG's Salem and Hope Creek nuclear stations, the merger could restrain prices and save customers "hundreds of millions of dollars," Rowe said. Exelon's nuclear plants run at 93.5% capacity factor, he noted, while PSEG's have run 10-30% below that. An Exelon team is already working at the PSEG plants under contract, but the merger would create "deeper management," he said. Further, Hope Creek has experienced operating issues that could, if not corrected, shut the plant down for some time, Rowe added. Good nuclear operations, he said, can have a "tremendous impact" on power markets. For more Exelon and PSEG merger stories, take a trial to Platts Electric Utility Week at http://electricutilityweek.platts.com. ------------