Energy Harbor files for Perry life extension

The Akron, Ohio–based company—owner and operator of both Perry and Ohio’s other nuclear plant, Davis-Besse, as well as Beaver Valley in Pennsylvania—declared its intention to seek license renewal for Perry in May of 2020. The original 40-year operating license for Perry’s 1,273-MWe boiling water reactor expires on November 7, 2026.

Beaver Valley’s two pressurized water reactors and Davis Besse’s PWR received NRC approval for license extension in 2009 and 2015, respectively.

Agency staff is reviewing the Perry application to determine if it is sufficiently complete to begin detailed safety and environmental reviews, according to the announcement. Should it pass muster, the application will be docketed, and staff will publish a notice of opportunity to request an adjudicatory hearing before an NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.

In case you missed it: In March, Texas-based Vistra Corporation, owner of the Comanche Peak nuclear plant, announced a $3.43 billion deal to acquire Energy Harbor. The transaction, which has been approved by both companies’ boards of directors, would merge Vistra’s nuclear and retail businesses and its Vistra Zero renewables and storage projects with Energy Harbor’s nuclear and retail businesses under a new subsidiary holding company dubbed Vistra Vision. With the addition of Energy Harbor’s four units (sporting a total net capacity of 4,053 MWe), the new firm would have the second-largest competitive nuclear fleet in the nation, according to Vistra.

Vistra announced last October that it had submitted a license renewal application for Comanche Peak’s two PWRs. The current operating licenses for those reactors, Units 1 and 2, are February 8, 2030, and February 2, 2033, respectively.