<P> As of March 2009, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission had received applications for permission to construct 26 new nuclear power reactors with applications for another 7 expected . Six of these reactors have been ordered . However, not all the proposed new capacity will necessarily be built, with some applications being made to keep future options open and reserving places in a queue for government incentives available for up to the first three plants based on each innovative reactor design . </P> <P> In August 2011, the TVA board of directors voted to move forward with the construction of the unit one reactor at the Bellefonte Nuclear Generating Station . In addition, the Tennessee Valley Authority petitioned to restart construction on the first two units at Bellefonte . But as of March 2012, many contractors have been laid off and the ultimate cost and timing for Bellefonte 1 will depend on work at another reactor TVA is completing--Watts Bar 2 in Tennessee . In February 2012, TVA said the Watts Bar 2 project was running over budget and behind schedule . </P> <P> In 2012, The NRC approved construction permits for four new nuclear reactor units at two existing plants, the first permits in 34 years . The first new permits, for two proposed reactors at the Vogtle plant, were approved in February 2012 . NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko cast the lone dissenting vote, citing safety concerns stemming from Japan's 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster: "I cannot support issuing this license as if Fukushima never happened". </P> <P> The first two of the newly approved units were the Units 3 and 4 at the existing Vogtle Electric Generating Plant . As of December 2011, construction by Southern Company on the two new nuclear units had begun, and they are expected to be delivering commercial power by 2016 and 2017, respectively . One week after Southern received the license to begin major construction on the two new reactors, a dozen environmental and anti-nuclear groups sued to stop the Plant Vogtle expansion project, saying "public safety and environmental problems since Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor accident have not been taken into account". The lawsuit was dismissed in July 2012 . </P>

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