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UniStar Nuclear Energy Congratulates AREVA on NRC's Acceptance of Design Certification Application for U.S. EPR

Posted on: Thursday, 28 February 2008, 15:00 CST

BALTIMORE, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UniStar Nuclear Energy, LLC (UNE), a strategic joint venture between Constellation Energy and EDF, today congratulated AREVA on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) acceptance for review of AREVA's design certification application for the U.S. Evolutionary Power Reactor (U.S. EPR).

UNE has proposed building at least four standardized U.S. EPRs in the U.S. and is partnering with AREVA to market AREVA's EPR technology in the United States. AREVA submitted the design certification application to the NRC in December 2007, and it was accepted Tuesday for docketing.

"The U.S. EPR is the safest, most secure nuclear plant technology and is the foundation of the UniStar business model," said George Vanderheyden, president and chief executive officer of UNE and senior vice president, Constellation Energy Nuclear Group. "The NRC's acceptance of AREVA's design certification application for technical review is a significant milestone in our efforts to build a new fleet of nuclear power plants. We congratulate AREVA on this significant accomplishment as we continue to work together to provide clean, emissions-free, base-load power to help secure America's energy future."

UNE worked closely with AREVA in developing the design certification application. In July 2007, UNE submitted a partial combined license (COL) application to the NRC to construct and operate a potential third reactor next to Constellation Energy's Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby, Md. UNE plans to submit the remainder of its COL application, which will reference information in AREVA's design certification application, in March 2008. UNE hopes to be in a position to begin early site preparation by the end of 2008 for the 1,600 megawatt reactor.

UniStar Nuclear Energy, a strategic joint venture between Constellation Energy and EDF, is powering the nuclear renaissance in North America through industry leadership, disciplined business practices and effective risk-management. Based in Baltimore, Md., UniStar Nuclear Energy provides the licensing, construction and operating services needed to support the expansion of clean, safe and sustainable nuclear energy in the United States.

Constellation Energy (http://www.constellation.com/), a FORTUNE 125 company with 2007 revenues of $21 billion, is the nation's largest competitive supplier of electricity to large commercial and industrial customers and the nation's largest wholesale power seller. Constellation Energy also manages fuels and energy services on behalf of energy intensive industries and utilities. It owns a diversified fleet of 78 generating units located throughout the United States, totaling approximately 8,700 megawatts of generating capacity. The company delivers electricity and natural gas through the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), its regulated utility in Central Maryland.

An energy market leader in Europe, the EDF Group is an integrated energy company operating in all branches of the industry: generation, transmission, distribution, and the trading and sale of energy. The top electricity producer in Europe, the Group has predominantly nuclear and hydroelectric power plants in France, supplying electricity that is 95 percent CO2-free. Its transmission and distribution subsidiaries operate 1,246,000 km of medium and low voltage overhead and underground electricity lines and around 100,000 km of high and very high voltage networks. The Group is involved in the supply of energy and services to over 38 million customers worldwide with more than 28 million of them in France. The Group's consolidated sales stood at euro 58.9 Billion in 2006 of which 42 percent was in Europe excluding France. EDF, which is listed on the Paris Bourse, is a member of the CAC 40 index.

As the leading U.S. nuclear vendor and a key player in the electricity transmission and distribution sector, AREVA Inc.'s 5,000 U.S. energy employees are committed to serving the nation and paving the way for the future of the electricity market. With 40 locations across the nation and nearly $2 billion in energy revenues in 2006, AREVA Inc., through its subsidiaries, combines U.S. leadership, access to worldwide expertise and a proven track record of performance. In the U.S. and in more than 100 countries around the world, AREVA is engaged in the 21st century's greatest challenges: making energy available to all, protecting the planet, and acting responsibly toward future generations. AREVA Inc. is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

UniStar Nuclear Energy, LLC

CONTACT: Maureen Brown or Lori A. Vidil, both of UniStar Nuclear Energy,LLC, +1-410-470-7433

Web site: http://www.constellation.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/084087.html

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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