Licensing

The owners of the two-unit Hatch nuclear power plant are hoping to operate the facility for up to 80 years. Southern Nuclear submitted its application this month to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a subsequent license renewal for the dual-unit plant in Baxley, Ga.

The SLR seeks to extend the operating licenses of both boiling water reactors at Hatch from 60 to 80 years. The NRC approved the plant’s first 20-year license renewal in January 2002, which extended Unit 1’s license through August 6, 2034, and Unit 2’s through June 13, 2038.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has published its final environmental impact statement for the proposed subsequent license renewal (SLR) for Oconee nuclear power plant's Units 1, 2, and 3.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is asking for public comments until March 3 on its environmental assessment (EA) and draft finding of no significant impact at Michigan’s Palisades nuclear power plant, where Holtec hopes to restart operations by the end of 2025.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is amending its regulations governing the licensing of nonpower production or utilization facilities (NPUF) to make license renewal criteria more consistent with the limited risk such facilities pose to public safety.

The recent article “How Innovative Is China in Nuclear Power?” published by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) describes how China has become the world’s leading proponent of nuclear energy. The reason, the article maintains, is because its nuclear industry has been “supported by a whole-of-government strategy that provides extensive financing and systemic coordination.”

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted for formal review NuScale Power’s standard design approval (SDA) application for its updated small modular reactor design, the Portland, Ore.–based firm announced yesterday.