MN commission unanimously approved Xcel's certificate of need requests to allow for a 164 megawatt expansion and the construction of 35 additional dry casks on the site to store nuclear waste. Commission members also approved a site permit for the expansion project
- Edited by April Murelio -
According to a report in the Austin Post Bulletin, Xcel Energy has won a major victory, The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the company's plans to boost energy production and increase nuclear waste storage at its Prairie Island Nuclear Power Generating Plant in Red Wing.
Xcel intends to spend $600 million to $700 million to increase the power at the 1,100-megawatt plant. The PUC unanimously approved Xcel's certificate of need requests to allow for a 164 megawatt expansion and the construction of 35 additional dry casks on the site to store nuclear waste. Commission members also approved a site permit for the expansion project.
Xcel Energy officials lauded the commission's decision, saying it will ensure that its customers receive reliable, reasonably priced energy. Critics charge that the nuclear plant expansion could pose a major threat to the health of nearby residents and the environment.
The company was faced with having to close down the plant by 2014 because of a lack of storage space for spent fuel rods. The planned expansion and upgrade will allow the plant to keep operating until 2034.
The commission made its decision based on a ruling from an administrative law judge in October. Judge Richard Luis concluded that the upgrades are necessary and that "there has been no demonstration that the operation of the Prairie Island Plant raises significant risk of adverse impacts to the health of residents living in the vicinity."