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Show Nation's largest power plant may be built in vicinity of Green River, in SE Utah Southeastern Utah was rocked last weekend by news that the Green River area is being considered consider-ed by a federal agency for construction of the largest power plant in the United States. (The newly-created U.S. Department Depart-ment of Energy, informed Utah officials that it is making available a million dollar grant to study the feasibility of constructing a 10,000 megawatt nuclear power plant in the Green River area. The plant would be over three times the size of the planned IPP power project plant, and the previously abandoned abandon-ed Kaiparowits plant, both of which were banned for fossil fuels. , federal agency official told Utah Governor Scott M. Matheson th.it he nation's future electrical energy needs might be met more efficiently with a few massive nuclear centers than through the expected proliferation of conventional-size, coal or uranium powered power-ed plants. The plant envisioned for Green River would consist of 10 generating units, each producing 1,000 to 1,300 megawatts. Problems of safety and. plant security for such a mammoth nuclear installation would be much easier in a sparcely-populated area such as the Green River area, and would be easier for one large plant than tor ten separate 1,000-mega-watt plants, the DOE representative representa-tive stated. In addition, the imminence of new air quality regulations regarding visibility and nitrogen oxide limitations are likely to limit further the number of acceptable sites for coal-burning plants. The federal official told the Governor that the $1 million federal grant would be added to some regional financial participation, and would be spent in Utah for a broad-based assessment of the political climate and economics for such a venture, general layout of the center, design of a new town and facilities and the availability and proximity of resources such as water and uranium. Green River's location on the edge of large uranium-producing areas and on the banks of the Green River, make it a logical choice, he said. A similar study will probably be made in South Carolina. To southern Utahns who have watched the impact of power plant construction in Central Emery County the past few years, the scope of the DOE study is rnind-boggling. The plant would be some ten times larger than the Huntington plant of Utah Power & Light Co., which has created a tremendous impact on the communities com-munities of Huntington, Castle Dale, and Price. |