– Edited By Chris Reed –
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued its final safety evaluation report (SER) for the proposed renewal of the operating license for the Duane Arnold Energy Center and Cooper Nuclear Station, and concluded that there are no open items that would preclude license renewal for an additional 20 years of operation each.
NextEra Energy Duane Arnold submitted an application to the NRC in October 2008 to extend the Duane Arnold license by 20 years. The plant is located about 10 miles northwest of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The current 40-year operating license for Duane Arnold is due to expire on Feb. 21, 2014.
Nebraska Public Power District submitted an application to the NRC in Sept. 2008 to extend the Cooper license by 20 years. The plant, operated by Nebraska Public Power District, is located in Nemaha County, Neb. The current 40-year operating license for Cooper Nuclear Station expires Jan. 18, 2014.
Additional information concerning license renewal in general and these plant applications can be found at the NRC website here: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/factsheets/license-renewal-bg.html and http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html respectively.