Document: NUREG-1555
Document ID: 8e036f97-f4bf-4b39-ae98-abf0525972c1
Document Type: esrp
Title: ALTERNATIVES REQUIRING NEW GENERATING CAPACITY
Source: NUREG-1555
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1555/initial/
Revision Date: 2007-10
Chapter: 9
Section ID: 9.2.2
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
REVIEW RESPONSIBILITIES Primary—Appendix B Secondary—Appendix B I. AREAS OF REVIEW This environmental standard review plan (ESRP) directs the staff’s identification and review of alternative sources of energy that could reasonably be expected to meet the demand from both a load and economic standpoint for additional generating capacity determined for the proposed project. Energy sources selected by this review will be compared with the proposed project by the reviewer for ESRP 9.2.3. The scope of the review directed by this plan will be governed by consideration of national policy, by site- and region-specific factors, and by the extent to which the energy sources may be considered as commercially exploitable. Within this scope, the reviewer should determine the current and projected status of (1) alternatives not yet commercially available, (2) fossil fuels, taking into account national policy regarding their use as fuels, and (3) alternatives uniquely available within the region (e.g., hydropower). In performing this review, the reviewer may rely on the analysis in the applicant’s environmental report (ER) and/or State or regional authorities’ analyses concerning the need for power and energy supply alternatives. The reviewer should ensure that the analysis of the need for power and alternatives is reasonable and meets high quality standards. The guidance in this ESRP is limited because the regulatory environment for electrical generating facilities is changing. Reviewers of issues related to need for power and evaluation of alternatives must know current NRC policy before beginning their review. Deregulation of utilities and open access to power-transmission systems should have a significant impact on the analysis of need for power, on the NUREG-1555 9.2.2-2 October 1999 competition for cheaper power, and on the service area. Because of deregulation in bulk sales markets for electricity, the advent of independent power producers, and the increased use