Reactor Licensing & Regulation

NextEra Energy’s application to extend its license at the Point Beach Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2 has been made publicly available on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission website.  “The NRC staff is reviewing the application to determine if it has sufficient information to complete the agency’s extensive safety and environmental reviews,” the commission said in […]

Ohio’s Select Committee on Energy Policy and Oversight on Thursday heard testimonies for and against HB 798, one of the state’s final hopes of keeping utility increases associated with an allegedly corrupt nuclear bailout law from hitting ratepayer accounts in January. Unlike most other HB6-related bills pending in the state legislature, HB 798 wouldn’t necessarily […]

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Committee approved its bi-partisan American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020 at a Wednesday business meeting. If passed, a tall order, with less than a month remaining in the 116th Congress, the American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020 (ANIA) would by January 2022 require the Department of Energy […]

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Nominating Council is seeking a new commissioner after its former leader resigned two weeks ago, when his home was raided by the FBI, according to a press release this week. The raid happened just days after FirstEnergy Corp., the energy utility at the center of one of the largest […]

In a special session of the Ohio legislature on Wednesday, one lawmaker defended his proposal to delay, rather than outright repeal, a rate increase levied by a controversial, corruption-stained nuclear power-plant bailout passed in 2019. Another hearing will be held Thursday after the regular session. Rep. Jim Hoops’ (R) bill HB 798, unlike competing proposals […]

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Committee approved its bi-partisan American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020 at a Wednesday business meeting. If passed, a tall order, with less than a month remaining in the 116th Congress, the American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020 (ANIA) would by January 2022 require the Department of Energy […]

The head of the committee tasked with reviewing legislation to repeal a controversial Ohio nuclear bailout law, House Bill 6, will hold a hearing Wednesday on a bill that would put the bailout on hold but won’t necessarily repeal it.  Rep. Jim Hoops’ (R) proposed HB 798 wouldn’t overwrite HB 6, but would instead delay […]

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Nominating Council is seeking a new chairman after its former leader resigned two weeks ago, when his home was raided by the FBI, according to a Monday press release. The raid happened just days after FirstEnergy Corp., the energy utility at the center of one of the largest public […]

Sam Randazzo, the chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, resigned Friday after his home was raided earlier in the week by the FBI.  His resignation comes a day after FirstEnergy Corp., the energy utility at the center of one of the largest public corruption scandals in Ohio history, expressed concern in a Securities […]

The Arizona Public Service Company has agreed to implement programs suggested by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission involving violations made at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in 2019 and since. The Arizona Public Service company operates the station, where it failed to perform an evaluation for a change to a dry cask storage system and […]

NextEra Energy is seeking to extend its Wisconsin-based Point Beach Nuclear Plant licenses by 20 years, keeping the plant running through 2050.  In an application submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday, the energy company requested to extend the licenses of the plants’ two units, which are currently on track to expire 2030 and […]

FirstEnergy Corp. isn’t in compliance with New York Stock Exchange listing requirements, the company said in a press statement Tuesday.  The NYSE sent a notice to FirstEnergy on Tuesday after the company failed to file its required 10-Q form for the quarter ending Sept. 30 on time. The utility missed its original deadline of Nov. […]

FBI agents were seen removing boxes from the home of the head of Ohio’s utilities regulator this week, according to The Columbus Dispatch, although it’s unclear what they were looking for. The chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), Sam Randazzo, has connections with FirstEnergy, an electric utility tied to a $60-million nuclear-bailout […]

FirstEnergy Corp. isn’t in compliance with New York Stock Exchange listing requirements, the company said in a press statement Tuesday.  The NYSE sent a notice to FirstEnergy on Tuesday after the company failed to file its required 10-Q form for the quarter ending Sept. 30 on time. The utility missed its original deadline of Nov. […]

FBI agents were seen removing boxes from the home of the head of Ohio’s utilities regulator on Monday, according to The Columbus Dispatch, although it’s unclear what they were looking for. The chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), Sam Randazzo, has connections with FirstEnergy, an electric utility tied to a $60-million nuclear-bailout […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission slapped a $900,000 fine on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar nuclear plant in Tennessee, issuing five violations related to a “substantial safety culture issue” at the plant during the fall of 2015 and early 2016. Tennessee Valley Authority uses Watts Bar Unit 1 to produce tritium for U.S. nuclear weapons. […]

The Ohio legislature, which began its lame duck session Monday, held hearings on two of the four bills proposed to repeal the effects of a controversial nuclear bailout law at the center of a corruption scandal involving the state House’s former speaker.  There are four bills pending in the Ohio legislature that would roll back […]

More top FirstEnergy executives are leaving the company, according to a Monday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its top lawyer. FirstEnergy’s Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Robert Reffner was “separated” from the company Nov. 8, according to an 8-K filing, along with Ebony Yeboah-Amankwah, vice president, general counsel and chief […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission slapped a $900,000 fine on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar nuclear plant in Tennessee, issuing five violations related to a “substantial safety culture issue” at the plant during the fall of 2015 and early 2016.The  Tennessee Valley Authority uses Watts Bar Unit 1 to produce tritium for U.S. nuclear weapons. […]

The Ohio legislature, which began its lame duck session Monday, held hearings on two of the four bills proposed to repeal the effects of a controversial nuclear bailout law at the center of a corruption scandal involving the state House’s former speaker.  There are four bills pending in the Ohio legislature that would roll back […]

More top FirstEnergy executives are leaving the company, according to a Monday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its top lawyer. FirstEnergy’s Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Robert Reffner was “separated” from the company Nov. 8, according to an 8-K filing, along with Ebony Yeboah-Amankwah, vice president, general counsel and chief […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission slapped a $900,000 fine on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar nuclear plant in Tennessee, issuing five violations related to a “substantial safety culture issue” at the plant during the fall of 2015 and early 2016. The Tennessee Valley Authority uses Watts Bar Unit 1 to produce tritium for U.S. nuclear […]

Third-quarter earnings fell year-over-year for Dominion Energy, operator of the Millstone Power Station, the North Anna Power Station, the Surry Power Station and the VC Summer Power Station. The Virginia-based energy utility announced net income Thursday morning of $356 million, or $0.41 per share, compared with a net income of $975 million, or $1.17 per […]

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio this week launched plans to conduct an independent audit of FirstEnergy’s compliance with corporate separation rules. Consumer advocacy groups like the Ohio Consumers Council have asked for an independent audit since September, before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) launched its original probe into the company following former […]

The alleged ringleader of what prosecutors have called the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history has been re-elected to a third term in the state legislature, unofficial results released Wednesday say.  Rep. Larry Householder won the seat unopposed, beating four write-in candidates.  Householder was indicted in July for allegedly taking part in a racketeering scandal […]

Little has changed for commercial nuclear plants this election, aside from the Indian Point Energy Center, which will lose Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y. 17), who is retiring this year. Mondaire Jones, a Democrat, will replace her to overlook the plant, which is owned by Entergy and going through the process of shutting down for decommissioning […]

FirstEnergy Corp. this week reported third-quarter earnings above analyst expectations days after firing its CEO and other executives following a summer of corruption allegations about an Ohio state nuclear-power bailout. The Akron, Ohio-based energy company reported net earnings of $454 million, or $0.84 a share, up from $391 million, or $0.73 a share. Quarterly revenue […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to resume force-on-force inspections in March next year, staff said in a meeting Monday featuring panelists from the Nuclear Energy Institute, NextEra, Entergy and the Union of Concerned Scientists.  After granting a number of exceptions to force-on-force inspections at nuclear reactors in response to the Covid-19 pandemic this year, Sabrina […]

The alleged ringleader of what prosecutors have called the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history has been re-elected to a third term in the state legislature, unofficial results released Wednesday say.  Rep. Larry Householder won the seat unopposed, beating four write-in candidates.  Householder was indicted in July for allegedly taking part in a racketeering scandal […]

FirstEnergy Corp. reported third-quarter earnings above analyst expectations days after firing its CEO and other executives following a summer of corruption allegations about an Ohio state nuclear-power bailout. The Akron, Ohio-based energy company reported net earnings of $454 million, or $0.84 a share, up from $391 million, or $0.73 a share. Quarterly revenue was $3 […]