The Levy County Nuclear Power Plant was a proposed nuclear power plant in Levy County, Florida. Progress Energy Florida originally estimated that the reactors would cost $5 billion and would commence operation in 2016. It later became clear that the Levy County reactors would not have started operation until at least 2026. Since Progress filed its application for the new plant in 2008 demand for electricity had been growing very slowly, and natural gas prices were extremely low at the time. The utility estimated that the reactors would cost between $17 billion and $22 billion, not counting financing charges and cost overruns. According to economist Mark Cooper, opposition to the project has mounted, threatening a rerun of the 1970s and 1980s, when the majority of nuclear construction plans were canceled or abandoned. On August 1, 2013, Duke Energy terminated the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) agreement for the Levy nuclear project, as part of a settlement with Florida's consumer advocates. On August 29, 2017, Duke Energy officially decided not to move forward with construction. History The Levy County Nuclear Power Plant was the umbrella term for a proposed nuclear power plant in Levy County, Florida. In 2006, Progress Energy Florida (PEF) announced the selection of in southern Levy County for the potential construction of new nuclear reactors. The site's proximity to the company's existing Crystal River 3 Nuclear Power Plant was expected to provide opportunities for efficiencies in shared support functions at both facilities. However, Progress Energy (at this point a subsidiary of Duke Energy) announced the decommissioning of the Crystal River reactor in February 2013 after cracks formed in its containment dome, estimated at $1.5 billion to repair. The company made no reference to constructing any new nuclear facilities in the region, only stating that it is "evaluating a number of potential sites for new plant capacity that may be needed in the future to meet Florida customer needs." Progress Energy Florida submitted a filing with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) on March 11, 2008, outlining its need for additional electricity and proposing to meet that need with two nuclear units in Levy County. The PSC scheduled hearings on the project in late May, and approved it in July. The company then applied for a Combined Construction and Operating License (COL) from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on July 30, 2008. Costs of the power plant were estimated