Exelon Nuclear’s announcement that it is looking at Matagorda County as the primary site for a possible nuclear plant fits right in with plans for growth in the county, said Mitch Thames, Bay City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture president.

A combined effort by the Matagorda County Economic Development Corporation, Bay City Community Development Corporation, City of Bay City, City of Palacios, Palacios Economic Development Corporation, Matagorda County, and area chambers of commerce is responsible for bringing industry and new business to the county, Thames said.

The plan is to keep bringing in new projects to sustain the growth of previous projects, he said.

If Exelon should decide to build a nuclear plant here, the construction workers who are already in the area working on STP’s expansion project would have another job available that will keep them as residents of the county, said Thames.

Industries targeted for the area are those that will bring good corporate citizens, help maintain the quality of life, create new jobs and pose no danger to the ecosystem, Thames said.

Exelon is a proven company that fits into those guidelines, he said.

“With Exelon, we are looking at the possibility for more thousands of jobs and more housing,” said Bay City Mayor Richard Knapik.

The group of entities began working with Exelon nine months ago when the company was looking at sites in 68 different counties, before they narrowed the decision down to Matagorda and Victoria counties.

“We already knew there was the possibility for Exelon when we started work on the ‘grow your own’ plan,” said Thames. “We knew there would be an even greater need for an educated workforce, especially in power technology.”

An educated workforce, amenities for residents and a good quality of life are the hardcore things we need to have for economic growth and development, Thames said.

As the population increases with the development of new jobs, so will the need for housing.

“I am 100 percent certain we will be able to meet those needs for specialized construction workers here for a short time to permanent employees,” said Thames.

Contractors already have shown interest in building new subdivisions, they are just waiting to know when people will start moving to the area before they begin, he said.

Many existing subdivisions in Bay City have already begun to see growth with new houses being built on vacant lots.

As to if the county will be able to support the increased water, sewer and natural gas needs of a growing population, Thames said that would not be a problem.

Bay City already has a capacity for growth built into its sewer and water system and the areas outside of the municipalities are working on plans for meeting their needs.

“We have a great team in place to handle the challenges — we are up to the task,” said Knapik.

The growth that seems to be coming to the county in a sudden rush is not a result of luck, but of a tremendous amount of hard work, said Thames.

“This has been a team effort with all of the city and county entities working together,” said Thames.

“This is an exciting time to be in Matagorda County,” Knapik said

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Matagorda County has been selected by Exelon Nuclear as the primary site for a federal Combined Construction and Operating License application that will allow the company to build and operate a new nuclear plant if they decide to build one.

The Matagorda County site selected is a 1,250-acre tract of land about 10 miles south of Collegeport, north of Oyster Lake.

One of the major factors in Matagorda County being selected is it proximity to the Gulf of Mexico as a water source, said Beth Rapczynski, Exelon Communications manager.

A secondary site considered by Exelon Nuclear is in Victoria County, about 20 miles south of Victoria.

The Victoria site would require the construction of a cooling lake.

“We are not announcing an intention to actually build, only to file an application,” said Rapczynski.

Exelon has not decided about when or if it will build on either of these sites, said Tom O’Neill, Exelon Nuclear’s Vice President of New Plant Development, in a press release Thursday.

Exelon must first find a solution for disposing used fuel, gain public acceptance for a new nuclear plant and be assured that a new plant using new technology can be financially successful, the release said.

The new technology includes enhanced safety built into plant designs, such as “passive safety” features that rely more on natural forces such as convection and gravity rather than pumps and valves to maintain high safety margins.

Exelon Nuclear plans to submit the Combined Construction and Operating License application, expected to cost about $23 million, in November 2008.

Until that time, Exelon will continue to research both sites to make sure they meet all suitability criteria required by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

It can take 42 months from the time the application is filed until it is accepted, said Rapczynski.

Because there are no definite plans to build, no decisions have been made for the type of reactors or storage of spent fuel, Rapczynski said.

“We want to start the education process on who Exelon is — our philosophy on safety and security and how we produce safe, clean electricity,” said Rapczynski.

“We are excited to be here and already have the support of some of the key stakeholders,” she said.

“This would be a huge benefit for the county,” said Bay City Mayor Richard Knapik.

“We couldn’t get two jobs here 10 years ago, now we have a chance for thousands,” Knapik said.

Exelon Nuclear, part of Exelon Corporation, is the nation’s largest operator of nuclear plants with 10 stations and 17 reactors.

They employ 600 – 800 full-time employees at each of their nuclear generating stations with annual payrolls of $37 to 63 million and property tax payments ranging from $570,000 to $28 million.

“The Department of Energy projects that electricity demand in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas will rise 48 percent by 2030, which means that Texas will need 24 gigawatts of new generating capacity,” O’Neill said.

Nuclear energy is a safe, clean, reliable source for meeting those additional energy needs, Rapczynski said.

Nuclear energy’s safety record is unparalleled, it is a reliable source of energy and no greenhouse gases are released into the environment, she said.

The average generating capacity factor — percentage of electricity actually produced, compared to the total potential the energy plant can produce — for nuclear plants in 2006 was 89.9 percent, giving it a higher reliability than any other energy source, said Rapczynski.

The nation’s 104 nuclear units supply about 20 percent of the electricity used in the United States, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute.

By Shelly Gormey Bay City Tribune