Last week, there was somewhat of a minor breakthrough announced for the hopes of Bellefonte Nuclear Plant’s future. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a notice seeking comment on the transfer of Bellefonte construction permits from the Tennessee Valley Authority to Nuclear Development LLC, which is the group owned by Chattanooga-based developer Franklin Haney, who is seeking to finish construction on the plant.
The on-again, off-again saga of Bellefonte is nothing new. Jackson County residents have been dealing with the property’s future for decades. However, Alabama State Sen. Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro) remains optimistic and says there several reasons for that optimism.
During an interview with WVNN’s “The Jeff Poor Show,” Livingston called the commission’s move “absolutely” a good sign and explained that despite what detractors of the project have said, there would be a demand for the electricity the plant produces.
Livingston referred to the Google and Facebook facilities in Alabama, which are two companies that favor “green energy.”
“You and I have had multiple conversations on the air about Bellefonte and the economic developments it does for the area in providing green electricity for the area, and also in the future,” Livingston said. “The more and more we see of data centers coming in, like Facebook in Huntsville or Google up here in Jackson County — they use a lot of energy, and they particularly want green energy. And nuclear is green energy.”
The Jackson County Republican also pointed the City of Memphis, which could be a big winner if Bellefonte comes online.
“I think TVA is Memphis’ single-largest user and they are on their fifth study and this most recent one that came out was probably published two or three weeks ago said the City of Memphis could save $1 million a day,” he said.
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.