The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is reviewing an application from NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy that would indirectly transfer four Dominion-operated nuclear plant licenses to a NextEra subsidiary as part of the companies’ proposed merger.
The public may request for a hearing about the indirect transfer of the licenses by Sept. 16. Comments about the transfer application are due by Sept. 28, according to NRC’s Aug. 27 Federal Register notice.
An indirect transfer, typically done in mergers and acquisitions, is when a new parent holding company or subsidiary has “an ownership interest in a licensee, while the nuclear power plant licensee owner and/or operator remains unchanged,” according to NRC’s website.
Filed on July 15, NextEra and Dominion are seeking NRC approval of the indirect transfer of operating, materials and general licenses for Surry Power Station, North Anna Power Station, Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station and Millstone Power Station. It will also indirectly transfer the combined license for North Anna Unit 3 and the plant’s early site permit.
North Anna and Surry are located in Virginia, Summer is in South Carolina and Millstone is in Connecticut.
According to NextEra’s July 15 application, the company requested that NRC review and approve this request no later than six months from the date of the application, or Jan. 15, 2027.
If NextEra and Dominion’s merger application is approved, “VEPCO [Virginia Electric and Power Company] and DESC [Dominion Energy South Carolina] will continue to operate their nuclear reactors as regulated electric utilities in Virginia and South Carolina, respectively, and DENC [Dominion Energy Nuclear Connecticut] will continue to operate its nuclear reactors as a competitive electricity generator in Connecticut,” according to the notice.
NextEra and Dominion announced plans to merge companies in May and expect for the $67 billion merger to be completed by fall 2027.
