Duke Energy's planned shift to nuclear at Belews Creek could improve local environment

Last summer, Duke Energy officials announced plans to replace its coal plant at Belews Creek Power Station with a small nuclear reactor.

The switch would mean cleaner air close to the facility and more normal water temperatures in Belews Lake, which is currently warm year-round due to the power production. It will also be less noisy, Duke officials say.

But the move is far from certain. The plan is to put a small modular reactor — also known as an SMR — on the Belews Creek site. There are currently no SMRs in service in the United States. And NuScale, an Oregon-based company that has been working on the technology, last year scrapped plans for a project in Utah.

Duke Energy spokesman Bill Norton says their permit allows them to work with other entities if NuScale can’t provide what the utility needs to transition from coal.

“There are multiple companies developing small modular reactors," he says. "What we’re doing is developing a plan that can work with whichever one is best for customers.”

The switch from coal to nuclear is part of Duke Energy’s plan to meet state-mandated greenhouse gas reductions by 2035.