About License Renewal

Just as you need to renew your driver's license to continue driving, we have to renew the licenses of our nuclear power plants to continue operating. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issues licenses to U.S. nuclear power plants, permitting operation for 40 years. Congress set this term of operation in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, and based it on accounting estimates of the time required to recover construction costs.

In 1995, the NRC began allowing utilities to apply to renew their operating licenses for an additional 20 years.

Thorough process

License renewal is a multi-year process and works this way:

How our customers benefit

License renewal means our nuclear power plants can continue serving you long into the future with:

• Safe, reliable and low-cost electricity from some of the best performing plants in the country
• Clean energy for our communities to meet growing energy needs
• Protection of valuable natural resources, such as endangered sea turtles that nest on St. Lucie Plant beach property and the American crocodiles that live in the Turkey Point cooling canals, and
• Ongoing support of the local community.

Project schedules

License renewal allows operations for an additional 20 years beyond the original license term:

• Turkey Point nuclear power plant was granted a license renewal for an additional 20 years by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in June 2002.
• St. Lucie nuclear power plant was granted a license renewal in October 2003.
• Point Beach nuclear power plant was granted a license renewal in December 2005,
• Seabrook is one of the newest nuclear power plants in the country and is a strong candidate for license renewal in the future.

Click here for more information on

• Turkey Point license extension or
• St. Lucie license extension.