STOKES COUNTY, N.C. — Duke Energy is in the early stages of expanding its nuclear power operations in our state.
This week the company submitted an early site permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a potential nuclear power plant in Stokes County, just north of Belews Creek.
“We currently have the largest, regulated, nuclear fleet in the nation,” said Duke Energy spokesperson Bill Norton.
He said most people don’t realize how much of their power comes from nuclear energy.
“More than half of the power consumed by our Duke Energy customers here in North Carolina are from nuclear plants,” Norton said.
The company operates 11 nuclear units at six sites across the Carolinas.
Duke Energy first announced the possibility of a small module reactor nuclear plant in Stokes County in 2023.
Norton said for the past two years the utility has been studying the site, environmental and seismic conditions to make sure that the ground is safe.
“It’s really a risk mitigation step because building a nuclear plant takes about a decade. It’s a long-term proposition. So what we’ve done with this filing is give the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is the federal regulators, our evaluation of the site,” Norton said.
Norton said the next step is for the commission to conduct its review, which will take about 18 months.
During that time the North Carolina Utilities Commission will host public input meetings this spring.
If the plant moves forward, Norton said it will create jobs and help grow industries in the Triad.
“We are looking at eight times the growth rate for North Carolina, South Carolina we had for the past 15 years, whether an individual data center comes on online or not,” he said. “In fact, most jobs right now, most investment that’s happening in the state is for manufacturing, such as, you know, the aviation, and battery, plants that are booming there in the Triad area. That’s really what we’re building for.”
In the Stokes County town of Walnut Cove, some residents expressed concerns over Duke’s plans for a potential nuclear site.
Many are still upset with Duke over coal power operations in the area years ago that saw many need water filtration systems, which Duke Energy provided.
Duke provided a statement in response to questions about water quality concerns.
“Belews Lake was created by Duke Energy in the 1970s as a cooling water source for power plant generation — originally for the coal plant, and it would fulfill the same purpose if a future nuclear plant is built, allowing the existing plant to retire. There would be no adverse impact on local water supplies,” the company said.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, a small module reactor is about a third of the size of a conventional nuclear reactor and can go in spaces where conventional reactors would not fit.
They are also designed to be flexible while providing energy for a variety of different needs.
In a statement released Tuesday, the company said in part, “While Duke energy has not yet made a decision to build new nuclear units, receiving an ESP (early site permit) provides future optionality for the company’s customers and the communities it serves.”
The public input sessions are expected to be in spring.
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Sasha Strong
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