Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. has notified the U.S. Department of Energy that it wishes to continue to monitor the development of federal programs offering use of mixed-oxide fuel and/or production of tritium at nuclear power plants, but at this time prefers not to formally express an interest in participating.

DOE had solicited "expressions of interest" in the programs from utilities operating nuclear power plants. Mixed-oxide fuel is a combination of uranium and plutonium. The plutonium would be provided by DOE from surplus material in the nuclear weapons program. Commercial nuclear power plants such as PP&L's Susquehanna plant currently use enriched uranium as a fuel.

Tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen used in nuclear weapons, could be produced in a commercial nuclear power plant as a by-product of the nuclear fissioning process if the plant's nuclear fuel core were modified.

"Although there could be a potential economic benefit for PP&L's customers and shareowners," said Herbert D. Woodeshick, PP&L's special assistant to the president for Susquehanna, "it is too early in DOE's development of the programs to have the information necessary to make an informed decision about participation. We will thoroughly evaluate the programs as their direction and requirements become better defined.

"PP&L is committed to the safe operation of the Susquehanna plant and to ensuring that it continues to be a good neighbor in the community," Woodeshick added. "Economic benefit would be only one of many factors that we would consider before making any decision to further explore participation in the DOE programs."

The Susquehanna nuclear plant, located in Luzerne County about five miles north of Berwick, is owned jointly by PP&L and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc.