Dominion Virginia Power to seek license extension for Surry Power Station

Dominion Virginia Power, subsidiary to Dominion, has informed the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that it intends to file a license renewal application for the Surry Power Station, the group announced last week.

If granted, the plant would be one of the first in the U.S. to receive a second license extension. The company states that it is currently reviewing the site’s technical aspects and expects to submit the request in 2019. This announcement was made during the White House Summit on Nuclear Energy by Dominion Generation CEO David Christian.

"The operation of Surry also positions Virginia for economic growth,” Christian said. “It supports more than 950 high-paying jobs at the station and produces additional economic and tax benefits. And Surry -- like the nation's other 61 nuclear stations -- provides the backbone for the nation's carbon-free power generation. In the case of Surry, it produces 20 percent of the electricity used in Virginia. Its continued operation could assist in meeting and maintaining the state's goals for lowering carbon emissions."

The Surry Power Station’s current licenses expire in 2032 and 2033; if the second extension is approved by the NRC, they would be allowed to operate for an additional 20 years.