Campbell supervisors approve letter backing AEP’s SMR early-site-permit grant application amid ratepayer questions
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Summary
AEP requested a letter of local support to strengthen a Department of Energy grant application that would help cover studies for an early site permit for a proposed small modular reactor near Concord; the board voted to authorize the letter while several supervisors stressed that approval of the letter is not an endorsement of the project itself.
Rob Mann, representing AEP, asked the supervisors to approve a letter of local support for AEP’s application to the U.S. Department of Energy for funds to offset the costs of studies and data collection required for an early site permit for a proposed small modular reactor (SMR) in the Concord area.
Mann said the grant would reduce the utility’s upfront costs for environmental and technical studies. "That grant is strengthened with letters of support from localities, particularly a locality that may end up being the host locality," he said, and told the boards the grant application deadline was the 17th of the month.
Mann described the funding request in rough terms: the total grant program he referenced is about $70 million and AEP is seeking about $40 million from the Department of Energy for this phase. He added the company expects to seek cost recovery through utility rate cases and offered a preliminary range of how much might ultimately be borne by ratepayers: "In the 30,000,000 range," he said when asked how much could be passed to the rate base even with the $40 million grant.
Several supervisors pressed for clarity on public outreach and timing. One supervisor asked whether AEP planned outreach in Concord and the company said it had held a storefront event and planned further public notifications and hearings tied to permit steps.
Before voting, a supervisor who supported authorizing the letter made explicit that backing the grant application was not a vote to support the project itself. "My support of you guys strengthening your grant application is in no way indicating that I do or do not support the project that we have not seen," the supervisor said.
A motion was made by the Concord District supervisor to authorize the county administrator to release the letter of support and the board approved the motion by voice vote; the board chair indicated the letter would be printed on county letterhead and signed that night.
Ending: The board’s approval permits AEP to include Campbell County’s support in its DOE grant package. Supervisors asked AEP to continue local outreach and to provide more detailed estimates of potential rate impacts before any land-use or construction decisions come before the board.
