NRC meetings to discuss Dresden SLR

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is hosting several public meetings this month to discuss the Dresden nuclear power plant and its request for subsequent license renewal.

Constellation filed an application with the NRC in April to add another 20 years to the Illinois plant's license. The regulatory agency has determined Dresden operated safely throughout 2023.

"All inspection findings and performance indicators were green, or very low safety significance. As a result, Dresden remains under the NRC's normal level of oversight, which entails thousands of hours of inspection each year," the NRC wrote in a public notice about upcoming meetings.

Background: Dresden's two boiling water reactors-which provide enough energy to power 1.4 million homes-are located southwest of Chicago.

The plant was at risk of early retirement during a period of economic uncertainty, until Illinois enacted the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021. The federal nuclear production tax credit enacted in 2022 extended policy support through 2032.

Constellation said that even if the license renewal is granted to allow operations at Dresden through 2051, future policy and market conditions will ultimately determine how long the plant operates.

Dresden employs nearly 700 people and during its annual refueling and maintenance outage its workforce more than doubles, helping increase worker payrolls and improve the bottom lines of local businesses.

Dresden-2 is currently licensed to operate through December 22, 2029; Dresden-3 is licensed through January 12, 2031.

NRC meetings: The first, an "open house" to be held as a public webinar, is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. CDT on August 8. NRC staff will give an overview of safety performance at Dresden and then take questions. The webinar link is here.

On August 20, NRC staff will gather public comments-via two webinars-on the commission's proposed scope of Dresden's environmental review. The webinars will be held that day at 12:00-2:00 p.m. CST and again at 5:00-7:00 p.m. CST.

Comments on the licensing process can also be submitted at regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC2024-0080; via email to [email protected]; or by mail to Office of Administration, Mail Stop TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001.