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As expected, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has formally notified Entergy that it can continue operating unit 2 at Indian Point while regulators sort out challenges to its license renewal.

The reactor's original license will expire Sept. 28. Entergy's application for a license extension received an initial safety evaluation report in 2009 and a final supplemental environmental impact statement in 2010. The NRC's staff has recommended approval of the 20-year extension, but the final decision has been delayed by objections from the state of New York and environmental groups that want the plant shut down.

In a release Monday, Entergy said it will continue operating the reactor as usual while the proceedings continue. The company also noted that it has invested more than $1 billion in upgrades related to the continued operation of unit 2 and unit 3 since purchasing the plant's reactors from the New York Power Authority and Con Ed in 2000 and 2001. The NRC is also considering an extension of unit 3's license, which will expire in late 2015.

Both units are Westinghouse four-loop pressurized water reactors generating about 1,050 megawatts each. The plant is located 24 miles north of New York City, according to the NRC.