The Nuclear Regulatory Commission this week freshened its records to reflect EnergySolutions as the new owner of a Wisconsin nuclear power plant after the company earlier this week finalized its purchase of the site, agency documents show.
Kewaunee Power Station’s operating license now shows EnergySolutions as the plant’s owner, NRC told the company in a letter dated Wednesday. The agency made the change after EnergySolutions on Tuesday closed its deal to purchase the plant from utility Dominion Energy, the letter said.
NRC’s records update puts the finishing touches on EnergySolutions’ months-long plan to buy the Carlton, Wisc., Kewaunee plant for decommissioning. The company cleared its most recent hurdle May 18, when the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (WPSC) unanimously approved the transaction. That process was marked by some controversy, however, as competing decommissioning company NorthStar in September intervened in the state review.
NorthStar claimed that Dominion should have used a competitive selection process when deciding on a decommissioning contractor for Kewaunee. The company also said it could dismantle the plant for just $500 million, a significantly lower price point than EnergySolutions’ quoted $724 million — a claim that EnergySolutions argued at the time was “misleading.”
Despite NorthStar’s interference, EnergySolutions COO told RadWaste Monitor June 6 that the company was “pretty happy with how things went” during the public service commission’s review.
A spokesperson for EnergySolutions declined to comment on the sale’s finalization.
NRC put its regulatory seal of approval on Kewaunee’s sale back in March. EnergySolutions and Dominion agreed to terms on the plant’s sale in May 2021.
Including Kewaunee, EnergySolutions now has four decommissioning projects under its belt, including California’s San Onofre plant, Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant in Nebraska and Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island Unit 2.
