**: Clinton Nuclear Power Plant (courtesy of Constellation).
Constellation has applied to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to renew its license for the Clean Energy Center in Clinton, Illinois. The application begins a full review by the NRC to extend the station's license for another 20 years, subject to adequate market or policy support. Clinton's single 1,062 MWE boiling water reactor began operations in 1987 and is currently licensed to operate until April 2027. Constellation (formerly known as Exelon Generation) owns and operates 21 nuclear reactors and also has operating interests in Units 1 and 2 of the Salem Nuclear Power Plant.
Our nation desperately needs more new, clean, stable megawatts of electricity to power our homes, businesses, and new technologies to improve our daily lives. The facility operates around the clock (24/7) during the most extreme summer and winter weather in a generation in the Midwest, and we are doing everything we can to ensure it has a chance to continue operating for 20 years. Said Joe Dominguez, president and CEO of Constellation. "Continued investment in our country's nuclear power plants, which provide about half of the clean energy on the grid and are the most reliable energy source**.
State legislation enacted in 2016 recognized the unique environmental, economic, and reliability advantages of nuclear energy, allowing the Clinton nuclear power plant to continue to operate. The enactment of the 2022 federal nuclear production tax credit extends policy support through 2032. Renewing the NRC license for Clinton will allow Constellation to keep the plant in operation until 2047, although this will depend on future policy and market conditions.
According to the NRC, license renewal applications must contain technical information and an assessment of the different types of plant aging that may be encountered, and how the licensee will manage or mitigate these impacts. NRC staff conducts a security review of the information provided in the application, requests additional information from the applicant if necessary, and makes a conclusion as to whether the facility can operate during the extended period of operation without posing an undue risk to the health and safety of the public. If a hearing is required, NRC staff is expected to complete the review of the application within 30 months of receipt of the application; If a hearing is not required, NRC staff will complete the review within 22 months of receipt of the application.