On Jan. 29, Constellation Energy, owners of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, issued the following statement to news agencies.

 The statement outlines developments in UniStar Nuclear Energy’s plans to build additional reactors in the U.S., and contains the following warning to Maryland officals:

 “Ideally, we would like to break ground for a new reactor in southern Maryland in late 2008 so this carbon-free, base-load source of electricity can be in operation by 2015,” said Michael Wallace UniStar chairman. “However, if we encounter delays in Maryland, we are prepared to proceed with the first EPR at our Nine Mile Point nuclear plant location in New York.”

 The full text of the release follows.

UniStar Nuclear Energy, a strategic joint venture between Constellation Energy and the EDF Group, announced that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has docketed UniStar’s partial Combined License Application (COLA) for an advanced design reactor adjacent to Constellation Energy’s Calvert Cliffs site in southern Maryland.

Michael J. Wallace, chairman of UniStar and executive vice president of Constellation Energy, said the NRC action confirms that the environmental portion of the application, as well as other critical information in the partial application, are technically complete and ready for detailed NRC review.

“The NRC decision is a major milestone in UniStar’s plans to potentially develop and construct a fleet of new nuclear plants in the United States,” Wallace said. “This regulatory step forward also supports Constellation Energy’s efforts to provide economic and environmentally sound electricity to meet anticipated demand in the Mid-Atlantic region, and in particular the state of Maryland.”

Wallace said UniStar expects to make a final decision in the next 12-18 months on whether to proceed with a third reactor at the Calvert Cliffs site. He noted the company also is pursuing a new reactor in upstate New York as part of its strategy to build at least four U.S. Evolutionary Power Reactors (EPRs) in the United States. He said any decision to build a new nuclear plant will take into consideration a number of factors, including project economics, ability to finance and the political and regulatory climate in the state where the plant will be built.

“Ideally, we would like to break ground for a new reactor in southern Maryland in late 2008 so this carbon-free, base-load source of electricity can be in operation by 2015,” Wallace said. “However, if we encounter delays in Maryland, we are prepared to proceed with the first EPR at our Nine Mile Point nuclear plant location in New York.”

Wallace said the NRC decision to docket UniStar’s partial Combined License Application begins a comprehensive, detailed review process that includes requests for additional information, site visits, public scoping meetings, the development of a draft environmental impact statement, and safety reviews.

UniStar plans to submit the remaining portion of its COLA — which includes the Final Safety Analysis Report — to the NRC in March. NRC regulations permit an applicant to submit one part of a COLA up to 18 months before submitting the remainder. Additional reviews and public meetings and hearings will occur following NRC review and acceptance of the remainder of the COLA.

The NRC decision, announced Jan. 25, continues to build momentum for UniStar, which is working with Constellation Energy, EDF, PPL, AmerenUE and eme