North
Anna generates 1,786 megawatts from its two units — enough electricity
to power 450,000 homes. Unit 1 began commercial operation in June, 1978
and Unit 2 followed in December 1980.
North Anna is located in Louisa County in central Virginia, northwest
of Richmond.
The facility was named after the North Anna River, which
was dammed to form the 9,600-acre Lake Anna reservoir and the 3,400-acre Waste
Heat Treatment Facility, used to provide cooling water for the station.
The Lake Anna reservoir and the Waste Heat Treatment Facility
have become a popular outdoor recreational area, whose shoreline is dotted
with homes, cabins. There are a number of marinas, campgrounds and a large
state park on the Lake Anna reservoir.
Application Filed For Combined Operating License
Dominion announced
on Nov. 28, 2007, that it has filed an application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission for a license to build and operate a new nuclear reactor at its
North Anna Power Station in central Virginia. If built, the new reactor would
add to Dominion’s position as one of
the nation’s top nuclear operators. The application filed with the NRC
is for a Combined Operating License (COL) for North Anna
Unit 3. The
company has not committed to build the new unit, but wants to maintain the
option to do so to meet projected skyrocketing demand for electricity in Virginia
in the next decade.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission authorized its Office
of New Reactors to issue an Early Site Permit (ESP) to Dominion Nuclear North
Anna, LLC on Nov. 20, 2007, for the North Anna ESP site near Louisa, Va. The
NRC has determined that the North Anna site is suitable for an additional reactor,
allowing Dominion to maintain the nuclear option for future customers.
Continuing studies show that North Anna has very minimal
effects on the environment. A radiological monitoring program has shown virtually
no environmental impact from operation of the station.
Exhaustive studies of Lake Anna found plant and marine life
there both abundant and healthy, and the lake has become one of Virginia's premier
fishing lakes. The warm water discharge from the power station may actually
be helping certain sensitive species of fish thrive during cold winter temperatures.
Waste Heat Treatment Facility (WHTF)
North Anna Power Station uses water
from Lake Anna to condense steam back to water inside the station. The water
is returned to the lake slightly warmer than when it was taken. The discharged
water cools in a series of private cooling lagoons, known as the Waste Heat
Treatment Facility (WHTF). >> Learn more, and view
the discharged water temperature.
If you would like to learn more about nuclear energy, we invite
you to visit the North
Anna Nuclear Information Center. The center welcomes visitors including
individuals having special needs. To assist us in accommodating any special
requirements or needs, we ask that you contact us in advance of your visit.
To arrange a visit or for other information, call (540) 894-2029 or 2028.
