FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sep 29, 2008
NPPD Submits License Renewal Application for Cooper Nuclear Station
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Cooper Nuclear Station |
Columbus, Neb. - Nebraska Public Power District, owner of Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville, Neb., filed license renewal application Monday, September 29, with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), to renew the facility's operating license for an additional 20 years.
The 828-megawatt (gross electrical output) nuclear power plant, located just south of Brownville along the Missouri River, is currently licensed to operate through January 18, 2014. If the NRC approves the license renewal, the station will continue to provide Nebraskans with safe, clean, and reliable electricity through January 18, 2034.
“This is an exciting day for Nebraska,” said Ron Asche, NPPD President and CEO. “Renewing Cooper Station’s license for another 20 years will extend the value of this important public power asset and retain nuclear power as part of NPPD’s diverse generation portfolio. The plant produces nearly 25 percent of our electricity generated and produces no greenhouse gas emissions.”
License renewal allows a nuclear plant to operate beyond its current operating license by extending the expiration date of the license for an additional 20-year duration. The license renewal process proceeds along two tracks -- one for review of safety requirements and another for an environmental review. The NRC evaluation of the license application is expected to take between 22 and 30 months.
In 2007 Cooper generated a record 6,671,248 megawatt hours of electricity, well above the previous record of 6,510,415 megawatts produced in 1999. The 2007 Cooper output would be enough to supply approximately 477,000 households with electricity for a year. The baseload unit operates 24 hours per day, seven days a week, helping to keep electric rates low in Nebraska, which currently enjoys the fifth lowest electricity costs in the nation.
NPPD owns and operates the plant with support from Entergy Nuclear. Entergy's license renewal group was instrumental in helping prepare Cooper's application for submittal. The station is a major economic driver for southeast Nebraska and northwest Missouri, employing approximately 725 people with a base annual payroll of $55 million.
