WASHINGTON -- A consortium of power companies bypassed the Savannah River Site to select sites in Alabama and Mississippi for the nation's first new nuclear power plants in a generation.

Marilyn Kray, president of NuStart Energy Development, said the group would not provide specifics on why sites were selected.

"Our hope, based on information we collected on Savannah River, is that it would still remain as a very eligible site for a new nuclear plant," Kray said.

In May, SRS made Nu- Start Energy Development's short list.

This week, NuStart selected Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, owned by an Entergy subsidiary near Port Gibson, Miss., and the Tennessee Valley Authority's Bellefonte Nuclear Plant near Scottsboro, Ala.

The decision dashed the hopes of South Carolina officials who saw a potential economic boost in the selection of SRS.

Much of the environmental and technical data needed for a license application already exists for the Savannah River Site, said Fred Humes, economic development director for Aiken and Edgefield counties.

But Humes and Republican Rep. Gresham Barrett said they believe SRS will get a nuclear power plant.

"Building a new nuclear reactor in South Carolina makes sense, and I am committed to doing all I can to make that a reality," Barrett said.

Duke Power, the utility arm of Duke Energy, is one of those companies looking for a nuclear power site.

Rita Sipe, a Duke Power spokeswoman, said the company would decide on a site and whether to proceed with an application for a license by the end of the year.

"We are looking (for sites) in our service territory," Sipe said.