The Tennessee Valley Authority announced today that it is conducting an environmental assessment to extend the operating license of its Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant for another 20 years.
The Soddy-Daisy plant is licensed to operate until 2020 at Unit 1 and until 2021 at Unit 2. TVA wants to extend the current 40-year license until 2040 and 2041.
“Renewing the operating license of the Sequoyah plant will allow us to continue to provide reliable, safe and clean electricity for the consumers in our service area,” TVA Chief Nuclear Officer Preston Swafford said. “Using existing non-air-polluting plants like Sequoyah for an additional 20 years helps us keep electricity costs affordable while being a steward of our environment.”
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses new nuclear plants for 40 years of operation and for an additional 20 years if a renewal application is approved.
Each of Sequoyah’s two reactors is capable of producing more than 1,160 megawatts. Together, they can generate enough electricity to supply about 1.3 million homes.
The TVA board will decide if license renewal applications will be submitted after the $20 million environmental review is completed.
Among the 104 licensed nuclear power reactors in the United States, 59 have been granted 20-year extensions and the NRC is reviewing applications for another 19, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute.
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