TVA’s final environmental assessment has been completed and it was concluded that there were no environmental threats to interfere with the sale of Bellefonte to Nuclear Development, LLC.

“I know that there are several steps in the process to pass the license over to the Haney group that wants to finish the plant,” says Sheila Shepard, President/CEO of the Jackson County Economic Development Authority.  Nuclear Development, LLC has until November 2018 to completely close the auction.

This was the first step in the process and there is still a lot more that needs to be done.  According to Sheila Shepard, President/CEO of the Jackson County Economic Development Authority, legislation – passed at both the federal and state levels will be required and hopefully there will also be some incentives to help the nuclear plant, as well.

This will be the first private nuclear plant within our area; all the others are TVA owned and operated. Local officials have high hopes for the opportunities that this acquisition can bring. “It’s going to bring in thousands of jobs and it’ll be a great economic boom for our area. There will be several thousand construction jobs which will last probably five years. Then after that, once the plants in operation, there will be several hundred paying jobs there. Good jobs.” said Ms. Shepard.

Although this can potentially be great news for the county, it can take years to achieve. “They’ve assembled a team of contractors and people to operate and build the plant. And even though it’ll be a long-term process and I know people in Jackson County have gotten their hopes up and down a few times on it, but I feel like this is a very, very good possibility that we’ll see this happen.”