NRC Mulls 80-Year License For Reactors

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering whether to extend licenses for operating commercial nuclear power plants to run up to 80 years. NRC staff members revealed this plan in late May to a joint meeting of commissioners from NRC and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Originally, nuclear power reactors were issued 40-year licenses and next were offered the opportunity to extend them 20 more years for a total of 60 years. Today, according to NRC staff, 73 of the 100 operating commercial reactors have obtained 20-year extensions, 18 have applied for extensions, and nine announced they will apply for extensions. In 2029, the first of these units will reach six decades of operation. Should NRC adopt this change, NRC staff expect the first application to permit operation for a total of 80 years will be filed in 2018. In a paper issued in January, the staff laid out NRC’s position on management of aging reactors and the influence of a plant’s condition on granting extensions.