Progress Energy in Florida is planning to retire two of its old coal-fired power plants and replace them with nuclear power units from Westinghouse Electric Co.

The two units, which will cost the energy company about $7.65 billion, are expected to be online in about eight years.

Progress Energy, based in St. Petersburg, Fla., made the announcement in conjunction with Westinghouse yesterday. The energy company also will be working with The Shaw Group Inc.'s Power Group of Baton Rouge, La.

According to Progress Energy, the two new nuclear power units will provide 3,000 jobs at the peak of construction and 800 full-time jobs when the units are operational. The contract with Westinghouse is for engineering, procurement and construction.

Each of the power units will provide 1,150 megawatts of electricity.

Progress Energy is awaiting approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It received approval for the project from the Florida Public Service Commission in July.

In addition to the $7.65 billion for the two power generation units, the company said the total cost of the project would include another $6.4 billion for the 5,100 acre site, financing costs, plant components, construction, labor, regulatory fees and reactor fuel. Progress Energy also will spend another $3 billion on transmission equipment and the 200 miles of transmission lines for the project.

Westinghouse's spokesman Vaughn Gilbert said this was the third contract for engineering, procurement and construction the company had signed in the last year. The others were with Georgia Power for two new units at its plant near Waynesboro, Ga., and with South Carolina Electric and Gas Co. for the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station near Jenkinsville, S.C.

If the Progress Energy nuclear power plant is approved and built in Levy County, Fla., it will be the first nuclear power plant in the country that will be constructed on a new site in more than 30 years.