NRC commissioners hear case to approve Oconee relicense

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

NRC commissioners hear case to approve Oconee relicense
  
WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission on Tuesday heard arguments from its staff recommending 
approval for a 20-year operating license extension for the Oconee 
nuclear power plant in Seneca, South Carolina. 

No vote was taken by the five-member commission. 

NRC Chairman Richard Meserve is to visit the three-unit facility next 
week, making a final decision likely pending his return. 

Oconee, owned by Duke Energy Corp <DUK.N>, is seeking to become the 
second plant this year to win a NRC extension. 

On March 23, the NRC for the first time extended the license of a 
commercial nuclear power plant, unanimously approving a 20-year 
extension for Constellation Energy's <CEG.N> Calvert Cliffs plant 
along the eastern Maryland shore. 

NRC staff on Tuesday told the commission they saw no environmental or 
safety reasons for not approving a similar renewal for Oconee. 

One commissioner, Jeffrey Merrifield, while not voting, said the 
decision "was not a difficult vote." 

Oconee consists of three reactors, each rated at 846 megawatts. Unit 
1's license to operate expires on Feb. 6, 2013; Unit 2's on Oct. 6, 
2013; and on July 19, 2014, for Unit 3. 

Nuclear utilities are acting well ahead of the original expiration 
dates in order to plan out their generation capacity into the next 
decade. 

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