South Florida reactors can operate until early 2050s
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has reinstated the expiration dates for the subsequent renewed licenses for the two commercial reactor units at the Turkey Point nuclear power station in southern Florida.
Turkey Point-3 and -4 can again operate until July 2052, and April 2053 as a result of the NRC decision, a statement said.
This action follows the completion of a supplemental environmental review required by a and NRC order issued in 2022.
The NRC had decided to issue the order to reverse a 2019 decision by a previous, Republican-led commission to extend Florida Power & Light’s operating licence for the Turkey Point-3 and -4 nuclear power plants.
The Commission said environmental groups had requested a hearing on the review, but in August 2024, the NRC’s atomic safety and licensing board concluded there were no remaining contested issues and terminated the judicial process.
The NRC’s decision can be appealed through late September, though NRC regulations allow licensing actions to proceed during the appeal process.
The NRC had previously granted FPL an initial 20-year extension that will allow the reactors to run until 2032 and 2033. Florida Power & Light said in 2018 that it was filing an application for a second 20-year licence renewal, taking the units’ operational lifetimes to 80 years.
Turkey Point-3, an 837-MW pressurised water reactor unit began commercial operation in December 1972, while 821-MW Turkey Point-4 followed in September 1974.
