Extending the life of Oconee Nuclear

If the federal government says yes, Oconee Nuclear will continue to churn out electricity until at least the middle of the century.  Duke Energy today announced it has applied to the NRC to renew Oconee’s operating licenses for an extra 20 years.  Its current operating licenses remain through the early 2030s; this second license renewal would extend the licenses to 2053 and 2054.  Oconee is Duke’s largest nuclear plant, and this license renewal application is the first submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for what’s called subsequent license renewal.  The announcement is likely to be greeted with pleasure from Oconee County.  Duke remains the county’s largest taxpayer.