Half of the nation’s nuclear power plants will need to obtain a second renewed operating license by 2040 to continue operating. These licenses can be renewed for 20-year increments after the first license. Part of that renewal is a review to make sure the plants can continue to operate safely.
U.S. nuclear plants have reliably supplied around 20 percent of the nation’s electricity for more than 25 years—and all of it carbon-free. If a significant number of these plants retire instead, it’s likely that they will be replaced with less clean and reliable power sources. The U.S. nuclear energy sector is already hard at work preparing for the rigorous license renewal process. Find out what’s involved and how renewed licenses ensure safety and continue to provide clean energy and benefit local economies.
What Are Second License Renewals?
U.S. nuclear plants are licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to operate for 40 years. After that, plants can extend their operating licenses for up to 20 years at a time. Most of our nuclear power plants have already renewed their operating license once. Several plants will be nearing the end of that 20-year extension by 2029 and will be seeking to renew their license a second time, for another 20-year period.
How Does the NRC Decide to Grant a Second License Renewal?
A license renewal application must answer one basic question: Can the plant continue to operate safely during the renewal period? In deciding yay or nay, the NRC subjects the plant to a rigorous review, including:
- plant inspections
- environmental impact reviews
- extensive safety testing and thorough risk assessments.
These programs ensure that a power plant continues to meet the most stringent safety standards, no matter how long the plant has been operating. It is important to note that each nuclear plant has at least two NRC inspectors on-site to observe and monitor safety at the plant.
Second License Renewal Timeline
Second License Renewals Are Key to Our Clean Energy Goals
Nearly 55 percent of the nation’s carbon-free electricity comes from nuclear power plants. When these plants close, we all lose ground in the fight against climate change. Significant increases in carbon emissions have been observed after every nuclear plant closure. Operating licenses for roughly 50 nuclear plants (half of our nation’s fleet) will expire over the next 20 years. If even half of these plants are forced to retire and are replaced with fossil fuel power plants, we’d lose one-quarter of the environmental benefits already gained.
Why Else Should We Care About Second License Renewals?
Renewing nuclear plant operating licenses provides us with long-term energy security and energy diversity. Nuclear energy facilities help form the backbone of the nation’s electric grid, constantly powering our way of life and preventing outages during spikes in electricity demand. Nuclear power reduces our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign energy imports. They run 24/7, no matter how severe the weather, and provide millions of tax revenue dollars and thousands of jobs to the communities in which they operate.
What You Can Do to Support License Renewals
- Urge federal officials to renew licenses for power plants in your state.
- Urge your state and local governments to support continued operation of your local plants.
- Learn more about the advantages of nuclear energy.
- Encourage students to enter engineering, scientific and nuclear fields of study.