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NRC Issues Early Site Permit to Tennessee Valley Authority for SMRs at Clinch River Site

LCG, December 27, 2019--The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced on December 17 that the Commission has authorized the issuance of an Early Site Permit (ESP) for Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA's) Clinch River site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The ESP closes several site-related issues, including many environmental impacts, for small modular reactors (SMRs) at the site. The ESP is the first issued by the NRC for SMRs and will be valid for up to 20 years from date of issuance.

NRC Issues Subsequent License Renewals for First Time to Nuclear Reactors in Florida

LCG, December 11, 2019--The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff recently approved Florida Power & Light's (FPL's) application for an additional 20 years of operation for Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Units 3 and 4. This is the first time the NRC has issued renewed licenses authorizing reactor operation from 60 to 80 years. The subsequent (or second) license renewals (SLRs) for Turkey Point Unit 3 and Unit 4 now expire on July 19, 2052 and April 10, 2053, respectively.

Cal-ISO Appoints Itself Power Plant Watchdog

LCG, Nov. 30, 2001--The California independent System operator, which has had trouble explaining its role to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, has decided to appoint itself watchdog for power plant maintenance and availability in California.

Cal-ISO's board of governors decided yesterday that the agency should set up strict maintenance standards and an enforcement program to make sure owners keep their power plants in good shape and able to deliver electricity whenever the ISO says to do so.

Cal-ISO will have to ask FERC's approval to begin the program next spring.

Power producers and possibly FERC could find objectionable a part of the Cal-ISO plan that would permit it to conduct "surprise" inspections of power plants to make sure maintenance routines are being followed. The cops can't inspect your home without a warrant.

The maintenance standard would be based on records kept by the state's three investor-owned utilities when they owned the plants.

"If you bought a used car, you'd sure like to get the maintenance records and the owner's manual with it," said Phil Pettingill, manager of transmission facilities for the ISO. The analogy won't wash.

If we bought a used car, we'd like the maintenance records and the owner's manual, but we wouldn't share them with a state bureaucrat who wanted to tell us when to drive the car.

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