Two Exelon nukes clear hurdle to license renewals
Date: 12-Jul-04
Country: USA
Before granting a new 20-year operating license for a nuclear power reactor, the NRC requires energy companies to submit environmental impact statements to make sure the continued operation would not harm the environment. The original operating licenses were for a period of 40-years.
Dresden is located in Morris, Illinois, about 60 miles southeast of Chicago. The current operating licenses expire on Dec. 22, 2009, for the 800 megawatt Unit 2 and Jan. 12, 2011, for 800 MW Unit 3. One MW powers 1,000 homes.
Quad Cities is located in Cordova, Illinois, about 155 miles west of Chicago. The current operating licenses expire on Dec. 14, 2012, for both 876 MW Units 1 and 2.
Exelon Generation Co., which operates more than 24,000 MW of generating capacity, submitted an application to renew the licenses for both plants on Jan. 3, 2003.
Exelon Generation is a subsidiary of energy holding company Exelon of Chicago, which distributes electricity to 5.1 million customers in northern Illinois including Chicago and in southeastern Pennsylvania including Philadelphia.
