VC Summer: AP1000's look to be completed

[OVERKILL]

Just saw this on twitter:

And it appears it will be Brookfield, whose proposal addressed existing ratepayer obligations, funding the project.

However, claims as to a compromised bidding process and other subterfuge cast a bit of a shadow on what otherwise is arguably good news for the project, whose partial completion stood as a symbol of squandered ratepayer billions. The completion of the project would allow for moving on from what is currently boondoggle status, into a clean contributor of energy, and supplier of jobs to the region.

Article here:
https://www.fitsnews.com/2025/10/23/santee-cooper-reboot-chaos-ahead-of-big-reveal/

This comes roughly a year after my previous thread on VC Summer's completion, which came on the heels of nuclear restart announcements, which had bolstered enthusiasm in the sector:

Thread 'Controversial - The resurrection of VC Summer'

Oct 17, 2024

Since the successful, albeit, incredibly over time and over budget completion of Vogtle, making the site the largest nuclear facility in the US, surpassing Palo Verde, it was only a matter of time until the subject of resurrecting the abandoned VC Summer project, the site of two more AP1000 reactors, was broached.

And how.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/7-years-sc-nuclear-debacle-230656625.html

This comes on the heels of an agreement with Microsoft to restart Three Mile Island Unit 1 with a guaranteed PPA and Amazon now investing in SMR...

• OVERKILL
• Replies: 39
• Forum: General and Off Topic

• 
• 

 

[ctechbob]

Maybe this stupid AI hype train will help get some of these projects finished.

Before Skynet kills us all.

 

[alarmguy]

Wow! Great post! @OVERKILL
As you know I followed this for quite some time, wife and I would ride our Harley up there many times, it's a beautiful area too. Heck I used to take my kids, every Thanksgiving I would make them jump in the truck to go for a ride. One of those days was up at Lake Monticello and the (I forgot that is used to cooling water) its a whole system, they have a pier there. Anyway, the reason for the trip EVERY Thanksgiving evening I would make them get in the truck and listen to Alice's Restaurant

The business climate is very friendly in South Carolina and proud to have lived there almost 2 decades almost wish I still did but now 4 miles over the border in NC. What used to be looked at by some as a backwards state ... well .. what do you know .. its really become a manufacturing hub and I can just imagine the continuing growth of the tech industry and becoming a Tech Hub with the promise of even more Nuclear power coming on line in a state that already has over 50% Nuclear. Tech companies can feel assured of meeting their power needs.

Google just announced another major investment I think in the last week or so
https://charlestonbusiness.com/google-9b-ai-cloud-investment-south-carolina/

This is what happens when you unleash business development, instead of making them the bad guy.

 

[4wd]

Drive by STP at least once a week - no cranes …
Guess the permits expired with no dirt moved …

 

[OVERKILL]

Drive by STP at least once a week - no cranes …
Guess the permits expired with no dirt moved …

Given the market the units would have to survive in in Texas, I don't think we'll see any talk of resurrecting STP units 3/4 until Summer is complete and there is proof that the cost has come down considerably.

 

[4wd]

Given the market the units would have to survive in in Texas, I don't think we'll see any talk of resurrecting STP units 3/4 until Summer is complete and there is proof that the cost has come down considerably.

In the meantime - they jumped 48 wind turbines into what would be the Houston lines … So cute, eh ?

 

[Albin]

It was criminal to stop building those two units in 2017.

 

[SOUNDMAN5000]

It was criminal to stop building those two units in 2017.

I feel someone (s) should have done Jail time over what has happened with Santee Copper the last few years.

As a Santee Cooper Customer all I know is I'm a simple man, 20 years ago when moving into the area I was so impressed with my then new to me Santee Cooper power company. I had Rock Solid power at a good price!

Then we entered the Obama years and all these poor business choices started and Santee Cooper could not take our coal plants off line fast enough with the promise of Solar and battery!

All I know is I HAVE NOT ENJOYED this first summer of our new "High Demand Hours" 3-6pm higher energy rates so I can no longer wash dishes or my cloths in the afternoon without worry and don't forget this high demand hours change Nov 1st so I must change so no cloths or dishwashing or morning showers between 6am and 9 starting soon!

Santee Copper Closed the power plants and now tells me we don't have enough power so I now I can't use my power when I need it!
Something is VERY wrong with this picture! Shame on you Santee Cooper for putting SC people in this position!

And don't get me started about how unreliable the once great Santee power is now. After another brownout, a sub station transformer "pop" in the distance I lost another HVAC capacitor when the power resumed! Transformer pops in the distance and loosing power is NOW the norm in my area after closing and removing the Grainger Coal plant in Conway! Closing that plant changed everything in my area!

My Santee Power is now 3rd world!

Santee better do something and something that does not cost me any more money!

People should be sitting in Jail over this Santee stuff!

 

[Skippy722]

I feel someone (s) should have done Jail time over what has happened with Santee Copper the last few years.

As a Santee Cooper Customer all I know is I'm a simple man, 20 years ago when moving into the area I was so impressed with my then new to me Santee Cooper power company. I had Rock Solid power at a good price!

Then we entered the Obama years and all these poor business choices started and Santee Cooper could not take our coal plants off line fast enough with the promise of Solar and battery!

All I know is I HAVE NOT ENJOYED this first summer of our new "High Demand Hours" 3-6pm higher energy rates so I can no longer wash dishes or my cloths in the afternoon without worry and don't forget this high demand hours change Nov 1st so I must change so no cloths or dishwashing or morning showers between 6am and 9 starting soon!

Santee Copper Closed the power plants and now tells me we don't have enough power so I now I can't use my power when I need it!
Something is VERY wrong with this picture! Shame on you Santee Cooper for putting SC people in this position!

And don't get me started about how unreliable the once great Santee power is now. After another brownout, a sub station transformer "pop" in the distance I lost another HVAC capacitor when the power resumed! Transformer pops in the distance and loosing power is NOW the norm in my area after closing and removing the Grainger Coal plant in Conway! Closing that plant changed everything in my area!

My Santee Power is now 3rd world!

Santee better do something and something that does not cost me any more money!

People should be sitting in Jail over this Santee stuff!

It's not just them. NiSource has jacked their rates in indiana into the stratosphere after years of promising "lower rates thanks to renewables" which I knew was a crock of crap, we now pay the highest rates in the entire state... But hey anything for the shareholders right!

Should be illegal to be a public utility that's traded on the stock market but I digress.

Edit: I forgot about their new pyramid scheme called GenCo. Where niSource builds new plants, buys power from them, then sells it back to themselves essentially?

 

[OVERKILL]

It's not just them. NiSource has jacked their rates in indiana into the stratosphere after years of promising "lower rates thanks to renewables" which I knew was a crock of crap, we now pay the highest rates in the entire state... But hey anything for the shareholders right!

Should be illegal to be a public utility that's traded on the stock market but I digress.View attachment 307087

The idea that signing PPA's that guarantee revenue for projects with fixed capital costs and stochastic output that was then going to have to be followed by legacy generators was somehow going to make electricity cheaper was always delusion. The problem is those high enough up to affect the decision making process believing it, as they should have been able to do the math.

Famously, we had a politician here in Ontario, as the orgy of GEA contract signings began, tell us that it would have no impact on rates. Now, you don't have to be a math genius to figure out that if you are paying 4 cents for hydro and 5 cents for nuclear, that if you add solar at 80 cents and wind at 15 that the price of that electricity is going to go up.