From Paul Bryant

Platts, an energy and metals information provider, has ranked Grand Gulf Nuclear Station third among more than 100 nuclear plants for electricity output since the plant went online in 1985.

According to Tim Crisler, a spokesman with Entergy Nuclear, which operates Grand Gulf, only reactors at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania ranked higher.

&#8220What this means is that Grand Gulf is one of the top” electricity producers in the country, Crisler said. &#8220It’s a very significant accomplishment to be awarded that.”

The Platts listing comes more than a month after Entergy and state officials announced in Jackson that a construction and operating license application will be filed by the end of this year to build a second reactor at Grand Gulf. No decision, however, has been made on whether to build.

Separately, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission report on safety issues at the plant is set to be released at 6 tonight at Port Gibson City Hall.

In addition to the lifetime achievement, Platts also recognized Grand Gulf for its electricity output in 2006, according to an Entergy Nuclear press release. Grand Gulf generated more than 11.2 million gross megawatt hours.

&#8220Only South Texas Unit 2 has produced more,” the release said. &#8220Among nuclear power plants worldwide, Grand Gulf ranked ninth for 2006 electricity generation.”

The generation report, according to Entergy Nuclear, appeared in Nucleonics Week, a weekly report on nuclear power issues.

Platts is a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

&#8220The achievement in generation comes among other … milestones for Grand Gulf, which by itself produces 22.3 percent of all electricity in Mississippi,” the release said.

&#8220It’s a very significant accomplishment that we have that right here in Mississippi,” Crisler said.

In April, Entergy Corporation was added to the Forbes list of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies &#8220for its corporate governance practices and accounting transparency.”

The same month, Entergy called a press conference to announce it had received an early site permit for Grand Gulf.

The permit issuance culminated a five-year process funded with taxpayer and company funds.

The construction and operating license application will be prepared in the name of NuStart, a consortium of several power companies.

The early site permit, valid for 20 years, resolved safety and environmental questions and determines Grand Gulf is &#8220suitable for possible future construction and operation of a nuclear power plant.”

A second unit at Grand Gulf would represent the first new nuclear reactor construction in the United States in more than 30 years.

NuStart has announced the type of GE power system it would install at a second reactor, but with an operating license taking five years and, if a decision to build is made, construction taking another five years, it will be at least a decade before any new plant could be operating.

Entergy Nuclear and Entergy Mississippi are among myriad subsidiaries of Entergy Inc., a multistate power company based in New Orleans, which has also had international holdings. Grand Gulf is owned by System Energy Resources Inc. and South Mississippi Electric Power Association.