Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

{{Short description|Nuclear power plant in Rhea County, Tennessee}}

{{Infobox power station

| name = Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

| image = Watts Bar-6.jpg

| image_caption = Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 & 2 cooling towers and containment buildings.

| image_alt =

| coordinates = {{coord|35|36|10|N|84|47|22|W|region:US-TN_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| country = United States

| location = Rhea County, near Spring City, Tennessee

| status = O

| construction_began = Unit 1: July 20, 1973
Unit 2: September 1, 1973{{efn|name=timelinenote|Although Unit 2 originally began construction on September 1, 1973, construction was halted on September 17, 1985 due to regulatory and economic factors. Construction was subsequently resumed on October 15, 2007, and the plant was completed on October 19, 2016, 43 years after construction first started (although the plant was only under active construction for 21 of those years).}}

| commissioned = Unit 1: May 27, 1996
Unit 2: October 19, 2016{{efn|name=timelinenote}}

| decommissioned =

| cost = More than $12 billion

| owner = Tennessee Valley Authority

| operator = Tennessee Valley Authority

| np_reactor_type = PWR

| np_reactor_supplier = Westinghouse

| np_fuel_type =

| np_fuel_supplier =

| ps_cogeneration =

| ps_cooling_source = Tennessee River

| ps_cooling_towers = 2 × Natural Draft

| ps_units_operational = 1 × 1167 MW
1 × 1165 MW

| ps_units_manu_model = WH 4-loop (ICECND)

| ps_units_uc =

| ps_units_planned =

| ps_units_cancelled =

| ps_units_decommissioned =

| ps_thermal_capacity = 1 × 3459 MW_th
1 × 3411 MW_th

| ps_heating_capacity =

| ps_electrical_capacity = 2332

| ps_electrical_cap_fac = 68.10% (2017)
73.45% (lifetime)

| ps_storage_capacity =

| ps_annual_generation = 16,808 GWh (2022)

}}

The Watts Bar Nuclear Plant is a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) nuclear reactor pair used for electric power generation. It is located on a 1,770-acre (7.2 km²) site in Rhea County, Tennessee, near Spring City, between Chattanooga and Knoxville. Watts Bar supplies enough electricity for about 1.2 million households in the Tennessee Valley.

The plant, construction of which began in 1973, has two Westinghouse pressurized water reactor units: Unit 1, completed in 1996, and Unit 2, completed in 2015. Unit 1 has a winter net dependable generating capacity of 1,167 megawatts. Unit 2 has a capacity of 1,165 megawatts. Unit 2 was the first of three new power reactors to enter service in the 21st century in the United States, followed by Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 3 and 4.

Unit 1

Construction on Unit 1 began on 23 January 1973 and suffered from many delays. After construction was halted on both units in 1985, construction resumed on Unit 1 in 1992.{{cite news|last=Gang|first=Duane W.|date=August 29, 2014|title=5 things to know about TVA and nuclear power|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2014/08/29/tennessee-valley-authority-nuclear-power-watts-bar/14807185/|work=The Tennessean|location=Nashville, Tennessee|access-date=2019-01-07}} Criticality was first achieved on 1 January 1996, and commercial operation began on May 5, 1996.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaea.org/PRIS/CountryStatistics/ReactorDetails.aspx?current=699|title=WATTS BAR-1: Reactor Details|last=|date=|website=Power Reactor Information System|publisher=International Atomic Energy Agency|access-date=July 14, 2018}}

In the early 2000s, the four original steam generator units were replaced with units made from Inconel 690 which is more resistant to stress corrosion cracking.

Unit 2

Unit 2 construction started in 1972. Unit 2 was 60% complete when construction on both units was stopped in 1985 due in part to a projected decrease in power demand.{{cite news

|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/utilities-tva-bellefonte-idUSL2E8EG37920120316 |title=TVA cuts contractors at Alabama Bellefonte nuclear site |work=Reuters |first=Scott |last=DiSavino |date=March 16, 2012 }} In 2007, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board approved completion of Unit 2 on August 1, and construction resumed on October 15.{{cite web

|url=http://www.iaea.org/PRIS/CountryStatistics/ReactorDetails.aspx?current=700 |title=WATTS BAR-2 |author= |date=June 29, 2013 |website=PRIS |publisher=International Atomic Energy Agency |access-date=June 29, 2013 }} The project was expected to cost $2.5 billion and employ around 2,300 contractor workers. Once finished, it was expected to employ 250 people in permanent jobs.{{cite web

|url=http://www.tva.gov/power/nuclear/wattsbar.htm |title=TVA: Watts Bar Nuclear Plant |publisher=Tennessee Valley Authority |date=February 10, 2008 |access-date=March 14, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212011518/http://www.tva.gov/power/nuclear/wattsbar.htm |archive-date=February 12, 2012 }} The final cost of the plant is estimated at $6.1 billion.{{Cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-nuclear-shutdown-20170508-story.html|title=America's first '21st century nuclear plant' already has been shut down for repairs|last=Hiltzik|first=Michael|date=2017-05-08|work=Los Angeles Times|issn=0458-3035|access-date=2017-05-09}}

A year after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and subsequent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued 9 orders to improve safety at domestic plants. Two changes applied to Watts Bar Unit 2 and required design modifications: "Mitigation Strategies Order"{{Cite web|title = Mitigation Strategies|url = https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/ops-experience/japan-dashboard/mitigation-strategies.html|website = nrc.gov |access-date = 2015-11-09}} and "Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation Order".{{Cite web|title = Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation Order|url =https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/ops-experience/japan-dashboard/spent-fuel.html|website = nrc.gov|access-date = 2015-11-09}} In February 2012, TVA said the design modifications to Watts Bar 2 were partially responsible for the project running over budget and behind schedule. The second unit costs a total of $4.7 billion bringing the total costs of the two unit plant to more than $12 billion.{{cite news|url= https://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2016/02/22/tva-awards-watts-bar_2c00_-sequoyah-outage-contract-to-westinghouse-022201 |title= TVA Awards Watts Bar, Sequoyah Outage Contract To Westinghouse |website= nuclearstreet.com |date= 2016-02-22 |access-date= 2017-03-05}} It will likely be the last Generation II reactor to be completed in the US.{{cite web | url = http://energy.about.com/od/nuclear/a/Three-Generations-Of-Nuclear-Power-Plants-In-The-U-S.htm | title = Three Generations of Nuclear Power Plants in the U.S. | last = Mintz Testa | first = Bridget | date = 27 May 2012 | website = About.com | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160410223523/http://energy.about.com/od/nuclear/a/Three-Generations-Of-Nuclear-Power-Plants-In-The-U-S.htm

| archive-date = 10 April 2016 | url-status = dead | access-date = 7 March 2017}}

TVA declared construction substantially complete in August 2015 and requested that NRC staff proceed with the final licensing review; on October 22, the NRC approved a 40-year operating license for Unit 2, marking the formal end of construction and allowing for the installation of nuclear fuel and subsequent testing.{{Cite web|title = Watts Bar nuclear reactor granted operating license - first new U.S. reactor in 19 years|url = http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2015/oct/22/watts-bar-nuclear-reactor-granted-operating-license---first-new-us-reactor-19-years/331905/|website = timesfreepress.com|access-date = 2015-10-22}} On December 15, 2015, TVA announced that the reactor was fully loaded with fuel and ready for criticality and power ascension tests. In March 2016, the NRC described the project as a "chilled work environment," where employees are reluctant to raise safety concerns for fear of retribution.

On May 23, 2016, initial criticality was achieved.[https://www.tva.com/Newsroom/Watts-Bar-2-Project/Timeline Today — Initial Criticality] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610112839/https://www.tva.com/Newsroom/Watts-Bar-2-Project/Timeline |date=2016-06-10 }}. www.tva.com. Retrieved 23 May 2016. Commercial operation began in October 2016.{{cite web | url = http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2016/oct/03/watts-bar-power-ascension-tests-completed/389869/ | title = Watts Bar power ascension tests completed | date = 3 October 2016 | website = www.timesfreepress.com | publisher = Time Free Press | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161004011127/http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2016/oct/03/watts-bar-power-ascension-tests-completed/389869/ | archive-date = 4 October 2016 | url-status = live | access-date = 4 October 2016 | quote = The newest unit at the Watts Bar plant near Spring City, Tenn. is now producing more than 1,150 megawatts of electricity ... }} On October 19, 2016 the Watts Bar 2 was the first United States reactor to enter commercial operation since 1996.{{cite news |last=Blau |first=Max |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/20/us/tennessee-nuclear-power-plant/index.html |title=First new US nuclear reactor in 20 years goes live |work=CNN.com |publisher=Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. |date=2016-10-20 |access-date=2016-10-20 }} Due to failures in its condenser, TVA took it offline on March 23, 2017. The condenser, which was installed during the original construction phase of the plant in the 1970s, suffered a structural failure in one of its sections. On August 1, 2017, the unit was restarted after four months of repairs to the condenser.

In 2022, the four original steam generator units installed in the 1970s on unit 2 were replaced with units made from Inconel 690 which is more resistant to stress corrosion cracking and expected to last the life of the plant. Replacing the units involved cutting two large holes in the containment building. Because of radioactive contamination the old units will be kept until the plant is decommissioned.{{cite news |url=https://www.neimagazine.com/features/featureswapping-steam-generators-at-watts-bar-10737329/ |title=Swapping steam generators at Watts Bar |publisher=Nuclear Engineering International |date=5 April 2023 |access-date=16 April 2023}}

Electricity production

class="wikitable" \|+Generation (MWh) of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant{{Cite web \|title=Electricity Data Browser \|url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/7722/?freq=M&pin= \|access-date=2023-01-08 \|website=www.eia.gov}} !Year !Jan !Feb !Mar !Apr !May !Jun !Jul !Aug !Sep !Oct !Nov !Dec !Annual (Total)
2001 \|865,401 \|785,394 \|867,441 \|831,506 \|854,829 \|781,099 \|546,540 \|832,025 \|752,854 \|861,068 \|832,257 \|816,161 !9,626,575
2002 \|867,654 \|666,737 \|247,153 \|828,559 \|668,949 \|812,577 \|786,082 \|831,704 \|811,209 \|854,034 \|840,231 \|863,464 !9,078,353
2003 \|874,381 \|788,422 \|682,375 \|830,918 \|850,445 \|815,140 \|830,671 \|771,811 \|145,510 \|251,039 \|839,063 \|869,036 !8,548,811
2004 \|790,787 \|812,896 \|861,019 \|829,429 \|844,969 \|809,214 \|831,329 \|830,935 \|708,344 \|846,240 \|828,868 \|862,873 !9,856,903
2005 \|856,865 \|574,589 \|-12,464 \|787,969 \|850,040 \|806,093 \|827,508 \|822,971 \|760,234 \|845,165 \|827,117 \|857,868 !8,803,955
2006 \|863,241 \|712,653 \|840,779 \|819,625 \|806,229 \|104,495 \|808,856 \|696,280 \|255,819 \|-6,120 \|-12,838 \|789,079 !6,678,098
2007 \|847,063 \|794,789 \|842,491 \|842,160 \|860,541 \|817,964 \|842,218 \|822,564 \|813,716 \|852,528 \|841,477 \|872,175 !10,049,686
2008 \|873,261 \|261,900 \|120,189 \|837,789 \|581,768 \|790,206 \|837,210 \|563,329 \|666,098 \|860,272 \|844,163 \|876,124 !8,112,309
2009 \|878,273 \|791,352 \|831,643 \|840,996 \|857,449 \|815,615 \|841,810 \|838,200 \|534,880 \|272,182 \|832,706 \|872,359 !9,207,465
2010 \|831,615 \|793,007 \|872,123 \|838,259 \|684,320 \|813,889 \|837,006 \|799,849 \|817,744 \|861,066 \|715,384 \|874,195 !9,738,457
2011 \|875,658 \|786,916 \|791,302 \|57,454 \|116,536 \|798,773 \|833,360 \|824,327 \|819,858 \|629,340 \|836,448 \|861,012 !8,230,984
2012 \|867,879 \|813,000 \|860,501 \|829,765 \|845,534 \|811,824 \|830,376 \|756,716 \|228,900 \|7,118 \|834,875 \|829,983 !8,516,471
2013 \|866,265 \|782,801 \|864,022 \|827,505 \|845,863 \|744,031 \|833,711 \|837,231 \|813,145 \|853,805 \|840,348 \|859,076 !9,967,803
2014 \|872,923 \|785,077 \|633,303 \|-12,074 \|738,213 \|810,194 \|754,183 \|830,449 \|809,351 \|848,741 \|838,751 \|868,504 !8,777,615
2015 \|870,146 \|566,898 \|783,904 \|822,440 \|843,297 \|794,445 \|802,791 \|822,161 \|488,794 \|186,565 \|608,004 \|859,705 !8,449,150
2016 \|863,426 \|800,168 \|706,793 \|800,663 \|818,177 \|762,692 \|1,034,064 \|906,079 \|792,838 \|1,422,247 \|1,664,235 \|1,764,096 !12,335,478
2017 \|1,758,293 \|1,589,981 \|1,027,929 \|-22,258 \|569,823 \|773,659 \|825,538 \|1,512,310 \|1,677,002 \|1,626,640 \|847,376 \|1,389,910 !13,576,203
2018 \|1,782,004 \|1,592,296 \|1,771,056 \|1,611,462 \|1,684,194 \|1,393,973 \|1,657,810 \|1,512,727 \|1,186,680 \|849,587 \|1,657,365 \|1,773,479 !18,472,633
2019 \|1,776,869 \|1,433,694 \|1,762,683 \|1,172,709 \|1,138,695 \|1,649,612 \|1,683,870 \|1,686,646 \|786,465 \|1,089,909 \|1,711,324 \|1,763,310 !17,655,786
2020 \|1,763,054 \|1,593,092 \|1,675,291 \|1,685,834 \|419,862 \|1,426,193 \|1,654,860 \|1,662,790 \|1,551,432 \|1,399,109 \|1,077,497 \|1,679,992 !17,589,006
2021 \|1,685,672 \|1,520,935 \|1,599,308 \|1,592,636 \|1,621,629 \|1,541,734 \|1,584,771 \|1,582,295 \|1,044,650 \|1,527,420 \|812,929 \|1,561,616 !17,675,595
2022 \|1,732,923 \|1,555,921 \|825,225 \|833,189 \|840,043 \|797,974 \|1,630,675 \|1,693,139 \|1,663,035 \|1,719,271 \|1,744,557 \|1,772,149 !16,808,101
2023 \|1,755,010 \|1,592,494 \|1,754,083 \|1,229,289 \|1,333,705 \|1,588,153 \|1,692,005 \|1,639,538 \|1,649,149 \|1,730,390 \|969,582 \|1,776,443 !18,709,841
2024 \|1,680,679 \|1,657,142 \|1,670,418 \|1,686,421 \|1,603,629 \|1,650,447 \|1,348,512 \|1,697,947 \|1,656,493 \|1,733,421 \|877,671 \|1,495,903 !18,758,683
2025 \|1,370,152 \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| !--

class="wikitable"

|+Generation (MWh) of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant{{Cite web |title=Electricity Data Browser |url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/7722/?freq=M&pin= |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=www.eia.gov}}

!Year

!Jan

!Feb

!Mar

!Apr

!May

!Jun

!Jul

!Aug

!Sep

!Oct

!Nov

!Dec

!Annual (Total)

2001

|865,401

|785,394

|867,441

|831,506

|854,829

|781,099

|546,540

|832,025

|752,854

|861,068

|832,257

|816,161

!9,626,575

2002

|867,654

|666,737

|247,153

|828,559

|668,949

|812,577

|786,082

|831,704

|811,209

|854,034

|840,231

|863,464

!9,078,353

2003

|874,381

|788,422

|682,375

|830,918

|850,445

|815,140

|830,671

|771,811

|145,510

|251,039

|839,063

|869,036

!8,548,811

2004

|790,787

|812,896

|861,019

|829,429

|844,969

|809,214

|831,329

|830,935

|708,344

|846,240

|828,868

|862,873

!9,856,903

2005

|856,865

|574,589

|-12,464

|787,969

|850,040

|806,093

|827,508

|822,971

|760,234

|845,165

|827,117

|857,868

!8,803,955

2006

|863,241

|712,653

|840,779

|819,625

|806,229

|104,495

|808,856

|696,280

|255,819

|-6,120

|-12,838

|789,079

!6,678,098

2007

|847,063

|794,789

|842,491

|842,160

|860,541

|817,964

|842,218

|822,564

|813,716

|852,528

|841,477

|872,175

!10,049,686

2008

|873,261

|261,900

|120,189

|837,789

|581,768

|790,206

|837,210

|563,329

|666,098

|860,272

|844,163

|876,124

!8,112,309

2009

|878,273

|791,352

|831,643

|840,996

|857,449

|815,615

|841,810

|838,200

|534,880

|272,182

|832,706

|872,359

!9,207,465

2010

|831,615

|793,007

|872,123

|838,259

|684,320

|813,889

|837,006

|799,849

|817,744

|861,066

|715,384

|874,195

!9,738,457

2011

|875,658

|786,916

|791,302

|57,454

|116,536

|798,773

|833,360

|824,327

|819,858

|629,340

|836,448

|861,012

!8,230,984

2012

|867,879

|813,000

|860,501

|829,765

|845,534

|811,824

|830,376

|756,716

|228,900

|7,118

|834,875

|829,983

!8,516,471

2013

|866,265

|782,801

|864,022

|827,505

|845,863

|744,031

|833,711

|837,231

|813,145

|853,805

|840,348

|859,076

!9,967,803

2014

|872,923

|785,077

|633,303

|-12,074

|738,213

|810,194

|754,183

|830,449

|809,351

|848,741

|838,751

|868,504

!8,777,615

2015

|870,146

|566,898

|783,904

|822,440

|843,297

|794,445

|802,791

|822,161

|488,794

|186,565

|608,004

|859,705

!8,449,150

2016

|863,426

|800,168

|706,793

|800,663

|818,177

|762,692

|1,034,064

|906,079

|792,838

|1,422,247

|1,664,235

|1,764,096

!12,335,478

2017

|1,758,293

|1,589,981

|1,027,929

|-22,258

|569,823

|773,659

|825,538

|1,512,310

|1,677,002

|1,626,640

|847,376

|1,389,910

!13,576,203

2018

|1,782,004

|1,592,296

|1,771,056

|1,611,462

|1,684,194

|1,393,973

|1,657,810

|1,512,727

|1,186,680

|849,587

|1,657,365

|1,773,479

!18,472,633

2019

|1,776,869

|1,433,694

|1,762,683

|1,172,709

|1,138,695

|1,649,612

|1,683,870

|1,686,646

|786,465

|1,089,909

|1,711,324

|1,763,310

!17,655,786

2020

|1,763,054

|1,593,092

|1,675,291

|1,685,834

|419,862

|1,426,193

|1,654,860

|1,662,790

|1,551,432

|1,399,109

|1,077,497

|1,679,992

!17,589,006

2021

|1,685,672

|1,520,935

|1,599,308

|1,592,636

|1,621,629

|1,541,734

|1,584,771

|1,582,295

|1,044,650

|1,527,420

|812,929

|1,561,616

!17,675,595

2022

|1,732,923

|1,555,921

|825,225

|833,189

|840,043

|797,974

|1,630,675

|1,693,139

|1,663,035

|1,719,271

|1,744,557

|1,772,149

!16,808,101

2023

|1,755,010

|1,592,494

|1,754,083

|1,229,289

|1,333,705

|1,588,153

|1,692,005

|1,639,538

|1,649,149

|1,730,390

|969,582

|1,776,443

!18,709,841

2024

|1,680,679

|1,657,142

|1,670,418

|1,686,421

|1,603,629

|1,650,447

|1,348,512

|1,697,947

|1,656,493

|1,733,421

|877,671

|1,495,903

!18,758,683

2025

|1,370,152

!--

Tritium production

The NRC operating license for Watts Bar was modified in September 2002 to allow irradiation of tritium-producing burnable absorber rods at Watts Bar to produce tritium for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Nuclear Security Administration in order to maintain the viability of America's nuclear weapons. Tritium, the fusion fuel in nuclear weapons, has a half-life of 12.3 years, which means it decays at 5.5% per year and must be renewed. The Watts Bar license amendment permits TVA to irradiate up to approximately 2,000 tritium-producing rods in the Watts Bar reactor.{{ r | wnn-20181001 }}

TVA began irradiating tritium-producing rods at Unit 1 in the fall of 2003. TVA removed these rods from the reactor in the spring of 2005. DOE successfully shipped them to its tritium extraction facility at Savannah River Site in South Carolina. DOE reimburses TVA for the cost of providing the irradiation services and also pays TVA a fee for each tritium-producing rod that is irradiated. During the times the reactor does this, it must be fuelled with "unobligated" uranium, (uranium that is not legally or contractually restricted to peaceful use only, as most commercial reactor uranium is). Technology and equipment as well as the fuel used to produce it must be of U.S. origin.{{cite news |url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/US-awards-HEU-downblending-contract |title=USA awards HEU downblending contract |publisher=World Nuclear News |date=1 October 2018 |access-date=3 October 2018}}

Surrounding population

File:Watts Bar-2.jpg in the foreground]]

The NRC defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of {{convert|10|mi}}, concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about {{convert|50|mi}}, concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity.{{cite web

|url=https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/emerg-plan-prep-nuc-power.html |title=NRC: Backgrounder on Emergency Preparedness at Nuclear Power Plants |author= |publisher=Nuclear Regulatory Commission |date=January 2009 |access-date=March 14, 2012 |series=Fact Sheets }}

The 2010 U.S. population within {{convert|10|mi}} of Watts Bar was 18,452, an increase of 4.1 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within {{convert|50|mi}} was 1,186,648, an increase of 12.8 percent since 2000.

{{cite news

| title = Nuclear neighbors: Population rises near US reactors

| first = Bill

| last = Dedman

| author-link = Bill Dedman

| date = April 14, 2011

| work = NBCNews.com

| url = https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42555888

| access-date = May 1, 2011

}}

Seismic risk

The NRC's estimate of the risk each year of an earthquake intense enough to cause core damage to the reactor at Watts Bar was 1 in 27,778, according to an NRC study published in August 2010.

{{cite news

| title= What are the odds? US nuke plants ranked by quake risk

| first= Bill

| last= Dedman

| author-link= Bill Dedman

| date= March 17, 2011

| publisher= NBCNews.com

| url= https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42103936

| access-date= April 19, 2011

}}

The 2018 Southern Appalachian earthquake's epicenter was located two miles east of the facility. The TVA reported that their facilities are designed to withstand seismic events and were not impacted by the earthquake, but personnel would conduct further inspections as a precaution.{{cite news|title=Strongest earthquake since 1973 hits East Tennessee|url=https://www.wvlt.tv/content/news/Rumbles-felt-in-East-Tennessee-502550832.html|publisher=WVLT-TV|date=December 12, 2018|access-date=December 12, 2018}}{{cite news|title= What are the odds? US nuke plants ranked by quake risk| first= Bill| last= Dedman|author-link= Bill Dedman| date= March 17, 2011| publisher= NBCNews.com| url= https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42103936| access-date= April 19, 2011}}{{cite web| first= Patrick| last= Hiland| title= Implications of Updated Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Estimates in Central and Eastern United States on Existing Plants| date= 2010-09-02| publisher= MSNBC Media| url= http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/quake%20nrc%20risk%20estimates.pdf| access-date= 2016-10-05| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170525170632/http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/quake%20nrc%20risk%20estimates.pdf| archive-date= 2017-05-25| url-status= dead}}

Notes

References

External links

{{official website}}
{{cite web|url= http://www.tva.gov/environment/reports/wattsbar2/appendix_d.pdf |title=Response to Comments }} {{small|(2.70 MB)}}
{{cite web

| url= http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/wattsbar.html

| title= Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Tennessee

| date= October 10, 2008 | publisher= U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

| access-date= 2008-11-16 }}