Commercial Decommissioning

By John Stang A California environmental organization called this week for a second utility to justify a request for a threefold spending increase from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station’s decommissioning trust fund. On Tuesday, San Diego County-based Public Watchdogs asked the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to hold an evidentiary hearing on San Diego […]

By John Stang The Omaha Public Power District calculates that switching to an accelerated decommissioning will cost roughly $165 million less in the long run for its Fort Calhoun reactor near Omaha. The OPPD submitted its revised post-shutdown decommissioning activities report (PSDAR) to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Dec. 16, 2019. The revised PSDAR figure, […]

The members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday rejected requests for an immediate freeze of agency staff’s approval of the license transfer for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts. The staff order in August covering the reactor and spent-fuel storage licenses allowed owner Entergy to sell the retired plant to Holtec International […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission from July to October conducted 10 unannounced inspections of spent fuel transfer operations at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California. The inspections are part of the agency’s response to several problems in the project, notably an August 2018 incident in which a canister was put at risk […]

By John Stang A legal tug-of-war is underway between a San Diego law firm and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the release of paperwork related to federal oversight of used-fuel management at the retired San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California. In March and June of this year, attorney Michael Aguirre submitted three […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has signed off on transferring the reactor and spent-fuel storage licenses for the Zion nuclear power plant in Illinois from decommissioning contractor EnergySolutions to site owner Exelon. The order from agency staff took effect on Nov. 26, according to a Dec. 6 notice in the Federal Register. It is good […]

A legal tug-of-war is underway between a San Diego law firm and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the release of paperwork related to federal oversight of used-fuel management at the retired San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in California. In March and June of this year, San Diego attorney Michael Aguirre filed three complaints […]

Nuclear power plant operator FirstEnergy Solutions (FES) said Monday it will be renamed Energy Harbor when it comes of out Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring as a stand-alone company. The company will continue to be headquartered in Akron, Ohio. It will employ roughly 2,800 people, according to a press release. The bankruptcy proceeding is expected to […]

Three U.S. senators on Wednesday reintroduced legislation intended to expedite the transfer of radioactive spent fuel into dry storage at nuclear power plants. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is lead sponsor on the legislation, with co-sponsors Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). “Addressing the safe storage of spent nuclear fuel is critical for the […]

FirstEnergy Corp. on Monday reported $391 million in net income for the third quarter of 2019, after sustaining a $512 million loss in the same three months of 2018. That was good for $0.73 in earning per share on a generally accepted accounting basis, versus a $1.02 per-share loss a year ago, according to the […]

By John Stang A California Superior Court judge ruled last week against a request by a local watchdog organization to suspend the transfer of used reactor fuel into dry storage at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). In a motion filed with the court in October, El Cajon-based Citizens’ Oversight sought the temporary halt […]

The U.S. branch of French nuclear company Orano said Wednesday it is preparing to deploy the first of its next-generation radioactive waste transport casks. Columbia, Md.-based Orano TN has manufactured the initial NUHOMS MP197HB, but still must assemble the container, according to a press release. It is expected by the end of 2019 to be ready for […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday formally approved a reduction in the emergency preparedness requirements for the retired Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts. The changes include elimination of a dedicated 10-mile emergency planning zone in the license for the Cape Cod property. The requirement for a specific off-site radiological emergency response plan will […]

Edison International on Tuesday reported lower third-quarter 2019 income for itself and subsidiary Southern California Edison, taking hits from increased costs for fighting wildfires linked to its power lines. Company-wide net income came in at $471 million, $1.36 per share, dropping from $513 million, $1.57 per share, in the same quarter of 2018. However, adjusted […]

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office on Monday asked a federal appeals court to order a stay on the already-completed transfer of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses for the retired Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. That action, plus two related measures by the federal regulator, should be frozen while the U.S. Court of Appeals for the […]

By John Stang As it faces a federal investigation over its lobbying practices, power company Exelon said Thursday it might close four nuclear power plants in Illinois if that state’s legislature does not pass legislation in 2020 to help keep them afloat. President and CEO Chris Crane said Exelon needs zero-emission credits for four plants […]

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has asked a federal appeals court to order a stay on the already-completed transfer of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses for the retired Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. Monday’s action, plus two related measures by the federal regulator, should be frozen while the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District […]

Edison International on Tuesday reported lower third-quarter 2019 income for itself and subsidiary Southern California Edison, taking hits from increased costs for fighting wildfires linked to its power lines. Company-wide net income came in at $471 million, $1.36 per share, dropping from $513 million, $1.57 per share, in the same quarter of 2018. However, adjusted […]

Both AECOM and the investment group planning to buy its government contracting and nuclear decommissioning business could call off the deal if it takes too long to complete, according to a recent financial filing. AECOM plans to sell its Management Services business to Maverick Purchaser Sub LLC, a joint venture formed by investment firms American […]

A California advocacy group this week petitioned a federal appeals court to require the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to order a halt to decommissioning and spent fuel offload operations at the retired San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). If approved, the writ of mandamus from the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals would remain in […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is accepting hearing petitions on proposed license transfers for the retired Crystal River nuclear power plant in Florida. Owner Duke Energy wants to transfer the facility’s operations and spent-fuel storage licenses to a subsidiary of Accelerated Decommissioning Partners (ADP). That company, a joint venture of NorthStar Group Services and Orano, […]

By John Stang The California Coastal Commission unanimously approved a permit Thursday that allows for major decommissioning to begin for two retired reactors at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). While the coastal development permit for plant majority owner and federal licensee Southern California Edison (SCE) solely covers on-shore decommissioning operations for SONGS Units […]

Holtec International believes it can complete decommissioning of the three-reactor Indian Point Energy Center by 2036, assuming it receives federal authorization to buy the nuclear power plant. The Camden, N.J., energy technology company laid out its schedule in a presentation to be given today to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in advance of the application […]

EnergySolutions is no longer partly owned by investment firm Lindsay Goldberg, although it still is listed on the Goldberg website. Due to an editing error, the ownership status was listed incorrectly in the Tuesday edition of Weapons Complex Morning Briefing.

EnergySolutions on Tuesday said it had sealed the deal for acquisition of reactor Unit 2 (TMI-2) at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, which famously partially melted down 40 years ago. The Salt Lake City-based nuclear services firm will buy TMI-2’s assets and obtain its licenses from reactor owner FirstEnergy Corp. It […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is accepting hearing petitions on proposed license transfers for the retired Crystal River nuclear power plant in Florida. Owner Duke Energy wants to transfer the facility’s operations and spent-fuel storage licenses to a subsidiary of Accelerated Decommissioning Partners (ADP). That company, a joint venture of NorthStar Group Services and Orano, […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is still reviewing two petitions for intervention in the license transfer proceeding for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts, even though it approved the transfer in August ahead of the sale of the retired plant. The “presidentially appointed Commission that oversees the NRC still has to rule on the […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is still reviewing two petitions for intervention in the license transfer of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts, even though it approved the transfer in August ahead of the sale of the retired plant. The “presidentially appointed Commission that oversees the NRC still has to rule on the requests […]

By John Stang Southern California Edison and partnering companies have petitioned a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit challenging decommissioning and transfer of spent fuel at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) — saying the complaint features legal, engineering, and scientific errors. The motion to dismiss focuses on arguments that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory […]

By John Stang The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office sued in federal court on Wednesday in an effort to roll back the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s recent approval of the license transfer of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. The commonwealth’s top lawyer wants the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate rulings and […]