Press Releases...

TEPCO Partners in STP Expansion
Princeton, New Jersey - May 10, 2010 - The Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc. (TEPCO) is now a partner in the two new nuclear units at the South Texas Project. TEPCO Press Release

STP Unit 2 Returns to Service After Safe, Successful Outage
Wadsworth, Texas - May 6, 2010 - Applying more than 550 lessons learned from a similar outage last fall, STP Nuclear Operating Company safely and successfully refueled Unit 2 and replaced the reactor's vessel head. Unit 2 Returns to Service Press Release

STP Begins Outage, Achieves Safety Milestone
Wadsworth, Texas - March 29, 2010 - The South Texas Project has safely started a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage for Unit 2 and also achieved another significant milestone. The two-unit facility - one of the nation's largest nuclear power plants - has surpassed 10 million labor-hours without a lost-time or restricted-duty accident. STP Shutdown, Milestone Press Release

STP Leads Industry Again
Wadsworth, Texas - March 23, 2010 - The South Texas Project produced more electricity in 2009 than any other two-unit nuclear power facility in the nation, and has been the top producer for six consecutive years. STP Leads Again Press Release

STPNOC Board Elects Ed Halpin Chairman
Wadsworth, Texas - Dec. 9, 2009 - The STP Nuclear Operating Company Board of Directors today elected Edward D. Halpin as the company's President and Chief Executive Officer and its Chairman of the Board. Halpin replaces James J. "Joe" Sheppard, whose retirement became effective today. Halpin Elected Chairman Press Release

STP Sets U.S. Industry Record
Wadsworth, Texas - Oct. 1, 2009 - The The South Texas Project established a U.S. nuclear power industry record Wednesday, by operating a unit continuously between refuelings for a fifth consecutive time. The plant shut down its Unit 1 reactor late yesterday for refueling and maintenance. Fifth B2B Production Run Press Release

STP Reaches Two-Year Safety Milestone
Wadsworth, Texas - Aug. 21, 2009 - The STP Nuclear Operating Company today reached another significant safety milestone. The two-unit facility, one of the nation’s largest nuclear power plants, has operated the past two years without a restricted-duty or lost-time injury among its approximately 1,200 employees. Safety Milestone Press Release

STP Garners Second ANS Utility Achievement Award
Wadsworth, Texas - Aug. 3, 2009 - The STP Nuclear Operating Company received the 2009 Utility Achievement Award from the American Nuclear Society (ANS) for demonstrating a prolonged dedication to safe and economical nuclear generation. ANS Award Press Release

STP Unit 2 Reaches Milestone
Wadsworth, Texas - June 22, 2009 - STP Unit 2 reached 20 years of clean, safe, and reliable commercial operation on Friday, June 19. The unit -- one of the youngest among the nation's 104 commercial reactors -- has produced a total of 178 billion kilowatt-hours of carbon-free energy, enough to power approximately 650,000 homes annually for two decades. Unit 2 Milestone Press Release

STP CEO Joe Sheppard Receives Industry's Top Leadership Honor
Washington, D.C. and Wadsworth, Texas - May 12, 2009 - STP Nuclear Operating Company President and Chief Executive Officer James J. Sheppard received the nuclear industry's William S. Lee Award for Leadership today in Washington, D.C. NEI Lee Award Press Release and STP Lee Award Press Release

STP CEO Joe Sheppard to Retire in December; Board Elects Ed Halpin CEO
Wadsworth, Texas - May 12, 2009 - STP Nuclear Operating Company President and CEO James J. Sheppard announced he will retire in December of this year. The company's Board of Directors has elected Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Edward D. Halpin as President and CEO, effective on Sheppard's retirement. CEO Change Press Release

STP Units 3 & 4 Move Forward with EPC Agreement
Wadsworth, Texas - Feb. 25, 2009 - STP Nuclear Operating Company, Nuclear Innovation North America LLC (NINA)*, CPS Energy and Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corp. (TANE) have signed and executed the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement for proposed STP Units 3 & 4. Units 3 &4 EPC Press Release

STP Leads Industry Again
Wadsworth, Texas -- Feb. 12, 2009 -- The South Texas Project produced more electricity than any other two-unit nuclear power plant in the nation in 2008, for the fifth consecutive year. 2008 Generation Press Release

Grant Boosts STP's Workforce Development
Wadsworth, Texas -- Feb. 2, 2009 -- The STP Nuclear Operating Company's workforce development plans received a major boost last week from a $1.9 million U.S. Department of Labor Grant to four Texas colleges. DOL Grant Press Release

STPNOC Reaches New Plant Milestone
Wadsworth, Texas -- Dec. 16, 2008 -- The STP Nuclear Operating Company has reached another project and industry milestone in new nuclear plant development by gaining a certificate required for construction, the first of its type granted nationally in more than a quarter-century. ASME Press Release

Sets U.S. Industry Record
Wadsworth, Texas -- Oct. 6, 2008 -- The South Texas Project established a U.S. nuclear power industry record Sunday, completing four consecutive breaker-to-breaker production runs by repeatedly operating both its units continuously between refuelings. STP Sets U.S. Record Press Release

STP Units Remain Online
Wadsworth, Texas -- Sep. 12, 2008 -- Based on current projections for Hurricane Ike, both units at the South Texas Project (STP) Nuclear Operating Company remain online, and power is not expected to be reduced as long as the transmission grid can support full operation. Hurricane Ike Press Release 2

STP Prepares for Hurricane Ike
Wadsworth, Texas -- Sep. 10, 2008 -- The South Texas Project (STP) nuclear power plant is taking precautionary measures as Hurricane Ike approaches the Texas coast. STP's operating procedures require it to take both its reactors offline, before the storm's landfall, if hurricane-force winds are predicted to affect the plant site. Hurricane Ike Press Release 1

STP Unit 1 in Operation Twenty Years
Wadsworth, Texas -- August 21, 2008 -- Monday, August 25, will mark the twentieth anniversary of commercial operations by the Unit 1 reactor at the South Texas Project nuclear power plant. Unit 1 Anniversary Press Release

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison Visits STP
Wadsworth, Texas -- August 13, 2008 -- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) commended the STP nuclear power plant for its industry leadership, during a visit to the facility yesterday afternoon. Senator Hutchison Press Release

STP Selects 60 Students for its EIP Program
Wadsworth, Texas -- June 16, 2008 -- The STP Nuclear Operating Company has selected 60 recipients for its 2008 educational incentive program. The students will pursue a nuclear power technology associate's degree at one of three area colleges. EIP Recipients Press Release

STP Wins Industry's Highest Honor for Third Time
Chicago, Ill. -- May 7, 2008 -- The South Texas Project has received another Best of the Best Award, the plant's third, and another Top Industry Practice Award, the plant's seventh, for developing and applying risk management for maintenance applications. NEI Best of the Best Award Press Release

STP Announces Educational Incentive Program
Wadsworth, Texas -- Feb. 10, 2008 -- The STP Nuclear Operating Company and the owners of the South Texas Project nuclear power plant are launching an Educational Incentive Program that could provide as much as $4 million over the next five years to pay for college classes to prepare students for well-paid careers at STP. EIP Program Press Release

STP Honored for Best Nuclear Project Worldwide
Wadsworth, Texas -- Dec. 12, 2007 -- Power Engineering magazine has presented a 2007 Project of The Year Award to the STP Nuclear Operating Company for excellence in replacing the low pressure turbines in both STP units. The publication has honored STP's turbine replacement effort as the Best Nuclear Project worldwide. Project of Year Award Press Release.

NRG, STP Apply for License to Build Two New Units
Princeton, New Jersey -- Sep. 24, 2007 -- NRG Energy, Inc. and the STP Nuclear Operating Company filed a Combined Construction and Operating License Application (COLA) today with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build and operate two new units at the South Texas Project nuclear power plant site. This is the first license application submitted to the NRC for a new nuclear plant in 29 years. NRG COLA Press Release.

STP Reports Lowest Production Cost Among U.S. Nuclear Plants
Wadsworth, Texas -- Sep. 17, 2007 -- The South Texas Project (STP) has the lowest production cost reported by nuclear power plants nationwide, at 1.356 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2006. STP's combined operating, maintenance and fuel expenses were the lowest among plants that report those costs to federal regulators. 2006 Production Cost Press Release.

STP Pioneers Major Change for Industry
Wadsworth, Texas -- July 17, 2007 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a request from the STP Nuclear Operating Company that will enhance plant safety by allowing operators to focus on the systems and components that are most important to the safe and reliable operation of the plant. RMTS Press Release.

Investing in the Future: $91,000 in Scholarships Awarded
Wadsworth, Texas -- May 28, 2007 -- The South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company in conjunction with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Local 66) and the Women in Nuclear recently awarded more than $90,000 in scholarships to students throughout Matagorda County. Scholarships Press Release and Photo.

Sargent & Lundy Selected as Units 3-4 Engineer
Wadsworth, Texas -- May 14, 2007 -- On track to be among the first nuclear construction in the United States in nearly 30 years, The South Texas Project selected Sargent & Lundy LLC, a leading engineering consulting firm, as its owner's engineer to assist in the plant's proposed expansion project. Owner's Engineer Press Release.

Plant Achieves Second, Consecutive Breaker-to-Breaker Run
Wadsworth, Texas -- March 26, 2007 -- Completing a second consecutive breaker-to-breaker run, the South Texas Project nuclear power plant successfully took its Unit 2 reactor offline on Sunday for a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage. Unit 2 B2B Press Release.

STP Again Leads U.S. in Electricity Production
Wadsworth, Texas -- Feb. 15, 2007 -- For the third consecutive year, the South Texas Project nuclear power plant led the U.S. in electricity production by two-reactor facilities. STP's total generation in 2006 was 21.37 billion kilowatt-hours, setting another record for the facility. STP Leads U.S. in Production.

Employees, STP Donate $196,000 to United Way
Wadsworth, Texas -- Feb. 1, 2007 -- Employees at the South Texas Project presented a check for $196,295.36 to the Matagorda County United Way on Monday, Jan. 29. This single donation represents more than 40 percent of the 2007 operating budget for the Matagorda County United Way. United Way Press Release.

Press Release Archives
2000 - 2006
1996 - 1999