The NRC announced yesterday that the renewal of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant’s operating license will be extended for an additional 20 years, allowing the plant to operate until 2037.
The NRC’s decision to renew Davis-Besse’s license comes following extensive safety and environmental reviews, public meetings and comments. The plant’s original license was set to expire on April 22, 2017, and FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. submitted a license renewal application to the NRC in 2010.
Davis-Besse is a single-unit reactor and is Ohio’s first nuclear power plant which started producing electricity in 1977. The plant is located 35 miles east of Toledo and is one of Ottawa County’s largest employers with more than 700 full time employees and an annual payroll of nearly $65 million
Davis-Besse is the 81st nuclear reactor in the United States to receive a license extension from the NRC. Applications for an additional 13 renewals are currently under review.
Why is Dominion going to close their plant in Wisconsin? Because it is too expensive to maiatnin and that natural gas prices are too low to allow them to remain profitable? Wisconsin is considering a new Bill that can make Nuclear Energy to be treated as a renewable. This will not affect Dominion’s decision by the looks of it. Are increased gasoline prices one way that allows natural gas to stay so low in price. Their strategy being to push nuclear out of competition?