Duke Energy Announces That It will seek to Renew the Operating Licenses of its Nuclear Reactors at its power Plants, including the Oconee Nuclear Station

(Seneca, SC)————–Duke Energy has announced today that it will seek to renew the operating licenses of the 11 nuclear reactors it operates at six nuclear power plants in the Carolinas for an additional 20 years and that will include, of course, the Oconee Nuclear Station, that has been in operation since 1973.

The license renewal, if approved, could extend the service life of the Oconee Nuclear Station into the 2050’s.

Mikalya Kruezburger, who is with Corporate Communications for Duke Energy, says that originally a nuclear power plant is licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for 40 years and with the Oconee Nuclear Station producing electricity since 1973, the original 40 year license expired in 2013.

“So then we applied for a license extension for 20 years,” according to Kruezberger. ”Anything after that original 40 year license is a 20 year extension. Well before 2013, we went through the same process where we applied and were given the license to operate from 2013 to 2033 and 2034, so right now we are in our license extension.”

Kruezberger said that Duke Energy is applying for its second, or subsequent license renewal for the Oconee Nuclear Station that would let the station operate from 2033 and 2034 through 2053 and 2054.

Kruezberger says that Unit One and Unit Two at the Oconee Nuclear Station are licensed through 2033 and Unit Three is licensed through 2034.