The Nuclear Regulatory Commission renewed the operating licenses of units 1 and 2 of NextEra Energy’s Point Beach nuclear plant in Two Rivers, Wis. for 20 additional years.
The renewed licenses for Point Beach’s Unit 1 will expire in October 2050 and the second unit in March 2053.
This is the second time the Wisconsin plant’s operating license has been renewed. With it, the sole Wisconsin nuclear plant, which supplies around 14% of Wisconsin’s electricity, will push its operation from 60 to 80 years.
“This approval ensures that Wisconsin’s only nuclear plant will continue to provide safe, reliable, low-cost energy for generations to come,” NextEra Energy Resources CEO Brian Bolster said in its Monday press release. “We are proud that Point Beach will remain an integral part of Wisconsin’s energy future and a vital contributor to the state and local economies.”
Point Beach nuclear plant consists of two pressurized-water reactors, Unit 1 built in 1970 and Unit 2 in 1973, with the collective capacity of 1,200 megawatts.