— A generator in storage for more than three decades following the accident at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant is heading to North Carolina.

Officials at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission say the electrical generator from the damaged Unit 2 reactor at TMI will be used at Progress Energy Inc.'s Shearon Harris nuclear plant in southwest Wake County.

NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said Thursday that preliminary work is under way to move the generator. It will be transported in two parts, weighing a combined 670 tons.

Progress Energy spokeswoman Julia Milstead said the generator is coming from the non-nuclear side of TMI. The generator has been refurbished, and the parts were extensively tested to ensure they weren't contaminated.

The Raleigh-based utility will save money by using the older generator instead of buying a new one, meaning the cost savings can be passed on to its customers, Milstead said.

The generator will be shipped to Shearon Harris by rail and will not impact traffic on any area roads, she said.

TMI's Unit 2 reactor has been shut down since a partial meltdown in 1979.

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Information from: The Patriot-News