美国杜克能源公司2012年在拟建的Lee核电站项目上的前期成本达到了5840万美元，略高于2011年的5270万美元，截至目前核电项目累计支出已超过3.19亿美元。

      Duke Energy Carolinas spent $58.4 million in 2012 on pre-construction costs for the proposed Lee Nuclear Station near Gaffney, S.C.

      That is a little more than the $52.7 million Duke spent in 2011, according to filings the company made last week with regulators in both Carolinas. So far, Duke has spent $319.6 million on planning and pre-construction costs for the $11 billion nuclear plant. It has permission from regulators to spend almost $140 million more by Dec. 31, for a total of $459 million.

      The largest expense in 2012, at $22.6 million, was the allowance for funds used during construction. This is essentially the interest on the money spent for the plant. It is the only part of the costs Duke is allowed to add into the rate base before the plant is completed.

Delayed start

      But actual construction of the plant seems further off than it did a year ago. The completion date, once targeted as early as 2016 for the first unit, has been pushed back a few times already.

      In the 10-year plan Duke filed in September, the company pushed back proposed completion for the Lee plant until 2022 — a year later than in the previous plan.
That delay was largely because federal regulators have suspended the licensing of new nuclear plants. They were forced to put a hold on licenses as a result of a federal court ruling in June concerning the lack of a long-term nuclear waste depository in the U.S.
Other costs

      But low natural gas prices — making gas plants an attractive alternative to nuclear energy — and slow growth in demand for electricity are likely to push that date back further. Lloyd Yates, head of regulated utilities for parent Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE:DUK), told S.C. regulators last month that “it will be a while before Lee shows up.” He said he expects construction to be put off again when Duke files a new long-range plan in the fall.

      For 2011, charlotte-based Duke spent $14.8 million on hearing fees and review of its pending license application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, $10.2 million on construction planning and detailed engineering, and $8.9 million on preparing the site. That is in addition to the interest expenses. Significantly smaller amounts were spent on operational planning and right-of-way purchases.

      Plans for Lee call for building two 1,117-megawatt nuclear reactors at the site.