NRC extends Davis-Besse nuclear plant license by 20 years

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said on Tuesday that it has extended the license for the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor, Ohio, by 20 years.

With this license extension, there are currently 81 nuclear reactors operating commercially within the U.S. that have renewed licenses. The NRC reports that an additional 13 renewal applications are currently undergoing this process.

The facility consists of one pressurized-water reactor. With this extension, the reactor is authorized for continued operations until April 22, 2037. The application process was initiated by FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co., the plant's owner and operator, in August 2010.

Through the license renewal process, staff from the NRC perform extensive evaluations of the safety and operational status of the reactor and its current and anticipated environmental impact. For the Davis-Besse facility, the finalized environmental-impact statement was submitted on April 24 of this year, and the facility’s final safety evaluation report was completed on Aug. 30.

The FirstEnergy website said the plant is capable of generating approximately 900 megawatts of electricity at full capacity. The plant also employs approximately 700 full-time employees. The company also reports that approximately 40 percent of electricity used in northwestern Ohio is produced at the facility.