The Latest: Construction stops on S Carolina’s new reactors

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Latest on the decision to stop building two nuclear reactors in South Carolina (all times local):

2 p.m.

Officials at both utilities that invested in two new nuclear power plants in South Carolina say they are stopping construction of the multibillion-dollar project, which has been caught up in the bankruptcy of its contractor.

South Carolina Electric & Gas announced Monday that it also plans to abandon the reactors under construction at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station north of Columbia.

The decision came after the board of state-owned utility Santee Cooper voted Monday to halt construction. Santee Cooper owns 45 per cent of the project and SCE&G and its parent company Scana own 55 per cent.

The project has been shrouded in doubt since earlier this year, when primary contractor Westinghouse filed for bankruptcy protection.

The reactors were set to be among the first new nuclear reactors built in the U.S. in decades.

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1 p.m.

South Carolina’s state-owned public utility has voted to stop construction on two billion-dollar nuclear reactors.

The reactors were set to be among the first new nuclear reactors built in the U.S. in decades, but the vote by Santee Cooper’s board on Monday likely ends their future.

Santee Cooper owns 45 per cent of the project. South Carolina Electric & Gas owns 55 per cent. That utility planned to update state regulators on Tuesday.

The project has been shrouded in doubt since earlier this year, when primary contractor Westinghouse filed for bankruptcy protection.

The utilities announced last week that Westinghouse’s parent company, Toshiba Corp., agreed to jointly pay them $2.2 billion regardless of whether the reactors are ever completed.

The reactors were planned for the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station north of Columbia.