How much was Bellefonte Nuclear Plant expected to cost?
Bellefonte is Tennessee Valley Authority's unfinished two-reactor nuclear project near Hollywood, Alabama. Construction of the original Babcock & Wilcox units began in 1975 and was deferred in 1988 as demand forecasts weakened; neither reactor ever generated commercial electricity. A U.S. Government Accountability Office review reports that TVA spent approximately $5 billion on the site over its development and preservation history, compared with TVA's initial $650 million estimate in 1970. These are nominal amounts from different years, not inflation-adjusted figures or a final price of an operating plant. TVA considered reviving the units but did not complete them. Their construction permits expired on 1 October 2021, and the site is now also used for training. The original two units would together have provided about 2,400 MW of electrical capacity; actual operating capacity is zero.
Reported project cost
$5 billion
Cost basis: 2016
Cost evidence
Basis of the published figure
Project metrics
Key dimensions
- PowerTennessee Valley Authority, 2009 Federal Register notice
- 2,400 MW
Project record
Construction started
U.S. Department of Energy environmental impact statement1975