Forked River Nuclear Power Plant
| Company type | Planned nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy, Nuclear power |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Lacey Township , United States |
Area served | New Jersey |
Key people | General Public Utilities (GPU), Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) |
| Products | Electricity generation (planned) |
The Forked River Nuclear Power Plant was a planned nuclear power plant located in Lacey Township, within Ocean County, New Jersey. Initially proposed in 1969, the project envisioned a single reactor with a capacity of 1,070 MW. The facility was to be constructed by Combustion Engineering and operated by Jersey Central Power and Light. Positioned between JCP&L's existing Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station and the Garden State Parkway, Forked River was designed to include a cooling tower—a feature intended to prevent the discharge of heated water into Oyster Creek and Barnegat Bay, distinguishing it from the Oyster Creek plant.
For the construction phase, General Public Utilities (GPU) utilized the K-10000 crane, which at that time was the largest crane globally, manufactured by Krøll Cranes A/S.
Work on the plant was suspended in 1974 due to budget reductions and environmental opposition but recommenced in 1976. Ultimately, GPU terminated the project in 1980, influenced by financial difficulties stemming from the Three Mile Island accident and ongoing regulatory challenges with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The decision was further impacted by local resistance and a fatal accident during construction, which contributed to doubts about the project's feasibility.