Xcel Energy officials today welcomed the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s renewal of operating licenses for Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant units 1 and 2 for 20 years. The NRC issued the renewed licenses Monday. The original licenses had been set to expire in 2013 and 2014.
“Continuing to operate the Prairie Island reactors through 2033 and 2034 is a cost-effective option for meeting our customers’ demand for electricity,” said Judy Poferl, president and CEO of Northern States Power Co.-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy company. Poferl noted that the plant supplies approximately 20 percent of Xcel Energy customers’ needs in the Upper Midwest.
“Prairie Island has operated in a safe, reliable, economic and environmentally sound manner for nearly 40 years, and our significant investments to support life extension will ensure continued, solid performance for the next 20 years,” she said.
Xcel Energy plans to invest at least $500 million in the plant through 2015 to support life extension, Poferl said. Additional investments will be made if the NRC approves an increase in generating capacity at the site, which Xcel Energy plans to apply for late this year, she said. The investments will result in property tax increases for local jurisdictions, she said, and the Red Wing area will continue to benefit from the plant’s high employment levels and workers’ involvement in their communities.
License renewal is a rigorous process that includes both safety and environmental reviews. During its comprehensive, three-year review of Prairie Island’s license renewal application, the NRC conducted numerous on-site inspections, analyzed technical data and provided opportunities for the public to provide input. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission previously approved Xcel Energy proposals that accommodate operations during the license renewal period.
The NRC in 2006 approved Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant’s license renewal application. The Monticello plant now is authorized to operate until 2030.