Progress Energy, not long ago considered to be in the forefront of the nation's nuclear renaissance, continues delaying its timeline on nuclear energy development. Some projects are nearly a decade behind schedule, prompting nuclear critics say that despite hundreds of millions of dollars of up-front investment these power plants are not likely to get built.

The Raleigh-based electric utility said today it will delay building its planned Levy nuclear plant in Florida by another three years. The announcement sets back the twin reactor project to a 2024-26 time frame from the original planned dates of 2016 and 2018 for the reactors to come online and start generating electricity.

Progress expects to spend nearly $1 billion on the Florida nuclear project by the end of this year, passing on the investment to Florida customers in their monthly bills.

Delays have also stymied the company's nuclear ambitions in North Carolina. Progress had originally planned to add two reactors at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant in Wake County by 2020-21. But now those proposed reactors are not in the company's 15-year plan, which means they would not be added until 2027 at the earliest, and possibly much later.