Estimated Progress Fla. nuke plant repair costs up

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A new report says it would cost nearly $1.5 billion to repair Progress Energy's damaged nuclear reactor at Crystal River.

That's up from the St. Petersburg-based utility's prior estimate of $900 million to $1.3 billion.

Progress submitted an independent review of the utility's potential repair plan to the Florida Public Service Commission on Monday. It found the repair plan feasible but also noted unresolved technical issues.

The utility's incoming president, Alex Glenn, said a decision has not yet been made on closing or repairing the plant.

It has been down due to a containment building crack that happened during an upgrade and maintenance project in 2009.

Progress, a subsidiary of North Carolina-based Duke Energy Corp., serves more than 1.6 million homes, businesses and other customers in central and north Florida.