Watts Bar 1 & 2

Basic Facts:

  • Location: Spring City, Tennessee
  • Owner: Tennessee Valley Authority
  • Operator: Tennessee Valley Authority
  • Construction Cost: $12B (2018$)
  • Plant Output: 2,300 MW (Combined)
  • Property Size: 1,800 acres
  • Status: Operational
  • Employees: 1,000
  • Expected Shut Down Date: Unit 1 (2035), Unit 2 (2055)
  • Current DTF Balance: $350M (2018$)
  • DTF Balance Prior to Decommissioning: $1.3B (2018$)
  • Decommissioning Cost Estimate: $1.0 (2018$)
  • Spent Nuclear Fuel on Site: 1,491 metric tons
Watts Bar 1 & 2 Photo

Background

The Watts Bar nuclear power station consists of two pressurized water reactors. Construction began in 1973 with licensed operations commencing in 1996 (Unit 1) and 2015 (Unit 2). Operational licenses expire in 2035 (Unit 1) and 2055 (Unit 2).

Socioeconomics

The Watts Bar nuclear power plant is located within Rhea County, Tennessee. As of 2016, socioeconomic information is as follows:

  • Population: 33,000
  • Per Capita Annual Income: $34,000
  • Unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted): 5.9%

As a government entity, TVA does not pay state, local or federal income taxes. Rhea County receives approximately $1M of TVA’s in lieu of tax payments to the State of Tennessee.

Contact Information

Economic Development Administration Representative:

Economic Development District

University Center

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Unless specific costing information has been provided, decommissioning costs were derived from 2017 Decommissioning Funding Status Report.
Information herein obtained from public sources. Corrections are welcome and may be directed to [email protected].

Additional Information

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(802) 345-7044

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