Turkey Point Gets New Transformer

HOMESTEAD (CBSMiami/AP) – As part of a billion dollar makeover of Florida Power and Light's Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant, a new "extra high voltage" transformer arrived on Monday.

The $10 million transformer, which weighs more than half a million pounds, was built by Siemens Energy and travelled 7,200 miles from Europe to South Florida. The transformer is actually a spare to be used if one of the plant's two existing transformers failed.

The plant's $1 billion makeover is scheduled to finish in 2013. Nearly 6,000 pipes, valves, generators, fans, turbines and other components are being replaced. When the upgrade is finished, Turkey Point's two nuclear units will be able to power about 270,000 more homes.

Florida Power & Light project manager Cara Smith told CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald that the upgrades will make the plant more efficient.

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