Toshiba Corp.'s Westinghouse Electric has won majority support for the design of its AP1000 reactor from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, even as the members feuded publicly over the panel's leadership.
The NRC issued a notice Wednesday that the third of five commissioners voted to certify the design Southern Co. and Scana Corp. plan to use for new units at existing U.S. nuclear plants.
The action opens the door for a new generation of U.S. nuclear plants, Dale Klein, an ex-NRC chairman, said Wednesday. The AP1000 also has the potential to be a "very dominant player in worldwide nuclear activities," said Klein, associate vice chancellor for research at the University of Texas.