The Utilities Service Alliance (USA) formally announced today that STP Nuclear Operating Company which operates the South Texas Project (STP) Electric Generating Station will join the fleet of independent nuclear plant operators as a full member effective January 1, 2014.

“We are pleased to welcome back STP to the USA fleet,” said USA President and Chief Executive Officer Carl Parry. “With their involvement in fleet initiatives, STP will benefit from our benchmarking and industry support as well as our supply chain program. Together with our existing fleet members, we will continue our drive towards operational excellence.”

USA is a non-profit cooperative of utilities that own or operate nuclear plants throughout the United States. Together, USA fleet members partner to reduce operating and maintenance costs, improve safety and performance and provide innovation and leadership within the nuclear power industry.

“The transition to USA offers a tremendous opportunity to improve our performance and drive efficiencies into our business,” said STP Site Vice President Tim Powell. “We are excited about the opportunity to join USA. The more we put into the organization, the more we will get out of it. Our commitment is to honor decisions and fully participate in USA initiatives, contracts and projects.”

The facility is managed by STP Nuclear Operating Company and owned by Austin Energy, CPS Energy and NRG Energy. STP’s two units produce 2,700 megawatts of energy, powering approximately two million Texas homes.

With STP’s membership, the USA fleet consists of seven utility companies operating 14 reactors that generate more than 14,800 megawatts of electricity. In addition to STP, the following utilities and nuclear reactors are members of the USA fleet:
• American Electric Power (Cook, Units 1 & 2)
• Detroit Edison (Fermi 2 Nuclear Plant)
• Energy Northwest (Columbia Generating Station)
• Pennsylvania Power & Light (Susquehanna Units 1 & 2)
• Public Service Enterprise Group (Salem Units 1 & 2 and Hope Creek)
• Xcel Energy (Prairie Island Units 1 & 2 and Monticello)

To learn more about the USA fleet, visit http://www.usainc.org.

South Texas Project, located near Bay City, Texas, will become USA newest member in 2014.