Is nuclear power safe?

Yes. Nuclear power plants are the most secure industrial facilities in the country, a fact confirmed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Progress Energy is committed to safe operations, as are the government agencies with oversight responsibility.

Will new nuclear plants be safer than ones built 20 or 30 years ago?

The continuous evolution of technology results in ongoing safety and efficiency improvements in the nuclear industry. Newer reactor designs will build on the industry's excellent safety record by using fewer moving parts and more passive fail-safe cooling systems that rely on natural forces of gravity, natural circulation, etc., instead of power supplies and motor-driven components. The reactor design Progress Energy is exploring for Florida has 85 percent less cable, 80 percent less pipe, 50 percent fewer valves and 35 percent fewer pumps than today's generation of reactors.

Is security different now than it was before Sept. 11? What new security measures are in place?

Nuclear plants are among the most secure facilities in the world, with several layers of security in place at each nuclear site across the country. Since Sept. 11, Progress Energy has implemented numerous security enhancements at its nuclear plants. These enhancements include additional training, extended security perimeters and new barriers. In compliance with federal law, we cannot publicize specifics about security measures.

What if a Katrina-sized hurricane hits? What would be the impacts to a nuclear plant at the Levy County site?

Nuclear facilities are built to withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Plants in the direct path of hurricanes are typically shut down proactively as an additional safety precaution.

Could an incident similar to what happened at Three Mile Island happen at a Progress Energy nuclear plant?

The U.S. nuclear industry has an excellent safety record. Since the Three Mile Island incident, the U.S. government and the nuclear industry have created additional strict regulations and technological advances to ensure the safety and security of our nuclear plants. It is important to remember that at Three Mile Island, only a small amount of radiation was released and there were no injuries, deaths or discernible health effects as a result.

Could an accident similar to what happened at Chernobyl happen at a Progress Energy nuclear plant?

The 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, is the only accident in the history of commercial nuclear power to cause fatalities from radiation. It was the product of a severely flawed Soviet-era reactor design and human error. Key differences in U.S. reactor design, regulation and emergency preparedness make it highly unlikely that a Chernobyl-type accident could occur in the United States. Among other differences, the Chernobyl plant did not have the massive containment structure common to most nuclear power plants elsewhere in the world. Without this protection, radioactive material escaped into the environment. New reactor designs, including the design Progress Energy has selected in the event it builds a new nuclear plant, have robust safety systems that would make the risk of a Chernobyl-type accident even more remote.

In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, would a nuclear plant be able to withstand a direct hit from an aircraft?

The strength of nuclear power plants against aircraft impacts has been tested in state-of-the-art computer simulations. An independent study confirms that the primary structures of a nuclear plant would withstand the impact of a commercial airliner without releasing radioactive materials.