Decommissioning

Keeping California’s last nuclear power plant online would be “an outrage and a betrayal,” a coalition of anti-nuclear groups told the state governor in a letter last week, as the Golden State pondered whether to press for a federal bailout for the facility. Keeping Diablo Canyon Power Plant online past its scheduled 2025 shutdown date […]

A prominent nuclear-professional organization this week rallied behind a proposed Nuclear Regulatory Commission rulemaking aimed at streamlining decommissioning of nuclear power plants. The American Nuclear Society (ANS) said in a statement Tuesday that it was “pleased” with NRC’s proposed changes to decommissioning regulations.  “This rulemaking has been under development for many years, and changes to […]

The state of California this week asked the Department of Energy to alter requirements for its recently-unveiled nuclear bailout to ensure the Golden State’s last operating nuclear power plant is eligible for an award during the agency’s first funding cycle. DOE’s April guidelines for its roughly $6 billion civil nuclear credits program present “overly broad” […]

The company aiming to purchase a Michigan nuclear power plant won’t expedite the process even though the site went offline earlier than expected, a spokesperson said this week. Although Palisades Nuclear Generating Station shut down Friday, around 11 days earlier than its scheduled May 31 closure date, Holtec International has “no plans” to finalize the […]

The state of California Monday asked the Department of Energy to alter requirements for its recently-unveiled nuclear bailout to ensure the Golden State’s last operating nuclear power plant is eligible for an award during the agency’s first funding cycle. DOE’s April guidelines for its roughly $6 billion civil nuclear credits program present “overly broad” restrictions […]

Keeping California’s last nuclear power plant online would be “an outrage and a betrayal,” a coalition of anti-nuclear groups told the state governor in a letter last week, as the Golden State pondered whether to press for a federal bailout for the facility. Keeping Diablo Canyon Power Plant online past its scheduled 2025 shutdown date […]

A prominent nuclear-professional organization on Tuesday rallied behind a proposed Nuclear Regulatory Commission rulemaking aimed at streamlining decommissioning of nuclear power plants. The American Nuclear Society (ANS) said in a statement Tuesday that it was “pleased” with NRC’s proposed changes to decommissioning regulations.  “This rulemaking has been under development for many years, and changes to […]

The company aiming to purchase a Michigan nuclear power plant won’t expedite the process even though the site went offline earlier than expected, a spokesperson said Monday. Although Palisades Nuclear Generating Station shut down Friday, around 11 days earlier than its scheduled May 31 closure date, Holtec International has “no plans” to finalize the plant’s […]

On Friday, earlier than expected, a Michigan nuclear power plant shutdown for good, according to the utility in charge of the site. Although Palisades Nuclear Generating Station was scheduled for shutdown on May 31, plant staff made the “conservative” decision to bring it offline Friday “due to the performance of a control rod drive seal,” […]

Holtec International’s plan to dispose of a Massachusetts nuclear power plant’s irradiated wastewater meets regulatory requirements, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission told the head of a local town council in a recent letter. Holtec’s license with NRC allowing it to decommission Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station requires the company “to ensure that the releases of gaseous and […]

Around a month after a workplace injury paused decommissioning work at a California nuclear power plant, things are spooling back up again, the plant’s operator said last week. Decommissioning at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is “slowly ramping up” after operator Southern California Edison (SCE) put a hold on things to evaluate an April […]

Operators of nuclear power plants facing impending closure now have until mid-summer to apply for a federal bailout, the Department of Energy said this week. Just a day before the scheduled application deadline for DOE’s civil nuclear credits program, the agency announced in a Wednesday press release that it would push the due date back […]

The California congressional district home to one of the Golden State’s former nuclear power plants could have a new representative in Congress after November’s midterm elections. Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.), the incumbent for California’s 49th district, faces a primary challenge from a slate of rivals including Lisa Bartlett (R), a member of the Orange County, […]

Decommissioning company EnergySolutions is one step closer to finalizing its purchase of a former Wisconsin nuclear power plant after a state regulator approved the transaction this week.  The Wisconsin Public Service Commission (WPSC) unanimously approved Wednesday the sale of Kewaunee Power Station, to EnergySolutions from current operator Dominion Energy. WPSC is now the second regulator […]

Orano’s company-led inspection of its own waste storage canisters at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station revealed no degradation after nearly two decades, the company in charge of waste management at the site said Wednesday. During the months-long inspection that began in November, Orano USA found no signs of chloride-induced stress corrosion in the stainless […]

Operators of nuclear power plants facing impending closure now have until mid-summer to apply for a federal bailout, the Department of Energy said Wednesday. Just a day before the scheduled application deadline for DOE’s civil nuclear credits program, the agency announced in a Wednesday press release that it would push the due date back 47 […]

The state regulator tasked with approving the proposed sale of a Wisconsin nuclear power plant was scheduled Wednesday to discuss the transaction, according to a new meeting notice from the organization. If the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (WPSC) during its Wednesday meeting approves the sale of Kewaunee Power Station, decommissioning company EnergySolutions will be one […]

The clock is running down for financially troubled nuclear plants on the brink of shutdown to seek a federal bailout, the Department of Energy said Monday. Thursday is the deadline for interested applicants to submit their bids on a roughly $1.2 billion chunk of DOE’s $6 billion civil nuclear credits program, the Office of Nuclear […]

Around a month after a workplace injury paused decommissioning work at a California nuclear power plant, things are spooling back up again, the plant’s operator said last week. Decommissioning at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is “slowly ramping up” after operator Southern California Edison (SCE) put a hold on things to evaluate an April […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s inspector general pushed back this week on claims by agency staff that the internal watchdog bent the facts in its review of the commission’s response to a 2020 safety issue at a California nuclear power plant, new documents show. NRC staff’s May 3 claim — that the inspector general took statements […]

The company looking for state approval to purchase a Wisconsin nuclear power plant for decommissioning sought Wednesday to counter an advocacy group’s last-minute push for an independent technical review of the transaction, new filings show.  EnergySolutions told the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (WPSC) in a filing Wednesday that commissioners should ignore evidence submitted last week […]

The company in charge of decommissioning a Massachusetts nuclear power plant won’t discharge the site’s irradiated wastewater into a nearby bay without getting a green light from the community and environmental experts, its CEO told a member of Congress during a field hearing last week. During the remote hearing of the Senate Environment and Public […]

Companies that want to help the Department of Energy evaluate bids for financial aid from struggling nuclear power plants have until the end of the week to bid for the work, according to a recent procurement notice. DOE’s request for proposals, published May 6, says the selected contractor would help the agency ensure nuclear plants’ […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s inspector general pushed back Wednesday on claims by agency staff that the internal watchdog bent the facts in its review of the commission’s response to a 2020 safety issue at a California nuclear power plant, new documents show. NRC staff’s May 3 claim — that the inspector general took statements from […]

The company in charge of decommissioning a Massachusetts nuclear power plant won’t discharge the site’s irradiated wastewater into a nearby bay without getting a green light from the community and environmental experts, its CEO told a member of Congress during a field hearing on Friday. During the remote hearing of the Senate Environment and Public […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission took issue Tuesday with a report from its inspector general suggesting that the agency had been lax in its inspection of a soon-to-close nuclear power plant, according to new documents. Although NRC’s inspector general alleged in a March report that an improper inspection of Diablo Canyon Power Plant back in 2020 […]

A decommissioning company intervening in state-level proceedings necessary for EnergySolutions’ purchase of a Wisconsin nuclear power plant wants to drag out the process with last-minute contentions, EnergySolutions argued this week. NorthStar’s April request to include Kewaunee Power Station’s annual decommissioning funding status report in the Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s (WPSC) review of the plant’s sale […]

The interested public now has until the end of the summer to provide their feedback on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s proposed rules change for decommissioning nuclear power plants, the agency said this week.  August 30 is now the deadline for comments on NRC’s proposed decommissioning rulemaking, the agency said in presentation slides for an upcoming […]

In what could be a reversal of fortune for Diablo Canyon Power Plant, the governor of California is weighing whether to bid on a federal bailout for the Golden State’s last operating nuclear power facility, he said last week. State Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) told the LA Times editorial board Friday that a bid on […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission took issue Tuesday with a report from its inspector general suggesting that the agency had been lax in its inspection of a soon-to-close nuclear power plant, according to new documents. Although NRC’s inspector general alleged in a March report that an improper inspection of Diablo Canyon Power Plant back in 2020 […]