NRC grants approval to 2046
By April Murelio
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed its review of the Harris Nuclear Plant License Renewal Application and has approved the plant's relicensing for operation until 2046. The license extension assures a continued reliable and low-operating cost generation source for North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA) until 2046.
NCEMPA Participants are joint owners in the Harris Nuclear Plant and the Brunswick Nuclear Plant, which are operated by Progress Energy Carolinas (PEC). NCEMPA ownership in the Harris Plant provides about 16 percent of the energy used by the Participants. Both Brunswick Unit 1 and Unit 2 were granted license extensions by the NRC in 2006 and are now licensed to operate until 2036 and 2034, respectively. The Brunswick Plant provides about 35 percent of the energy used by the Participants.
"NCEMPA's base of nuclear generation is a critical component of our power supply," said Paul Fisher, Chairman of the NCEMPA Board of Commissioners. "We are extremely pleased to now have both of our jointly owned nuclear plants licensed for such a long period of time. Progress Energy has proven to be an exceptional business partner in maintaining and operating the nuclear units."
"This license extension makes NCEMPA's ownership in the Harris Plant an even more valuable asset," said Sam Noble, Chairman of the ElectriCities Board of Directors. "Our ultimate goal in the Power Agency is to provide customers with reliable electricity. Reliability is the most important aspect of electric services, especially for our industrial customers with complex power needs. This license extension means 20 more years of reliable power for the Power Agency."
"The news of the license extension is certainly welcome at this time," said Art Hubert, Interim CEO of ElectriCities, the management organization for NCEMPA. "The extension will provide NCEMPA Participants with additional opportunities to address future issues in the areas of power supply planning, financial planning and cost control. Most importantly, the extension affords NCEMPA Participants a safe, reliable and cost effective power supply for their retail customers. We congratulate Progress Energy on this important achievement and plan for many more years of successful operations at the Harris Plant."
PEC began the relicensing process in November 2006 by filing a renewal application with the NRC. Over the next two years, the commission conducted an in-depth review of plant operations before granting the license extension. For more information on the license extension, contact Progress Energy.