Nuclear

Constellation to seek license extensions for two Illinois nuke plants

If approved by the NRC, Clinton could operate until 2047 and Dresden could operate until 2049 (Unit 2) and 2051 (Unit 3).

Constellation to seek license extensions for two Illinois nuke plants
(Located in Morris Illinois, the two-unit Dresden Generating Station generates close to 1,800 MW of electricity at capacity.)

Constellation said it plans to ask the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to extend the operating licenses of its Clinton and Dresden nuclear plants in Illinois by an additional 20 years.

If approved by the NRC, Clinton could operate until 2047 and Dresden could operate until 2049 (Unit 2) and 2051 (Unit 3).

The move marks a reversal in fortune for both power plants, which less than 18 months ago were on a road to early retirement due to unfavorable economics.

Clinton is currently licensed to operate through April 2027 and Dresden is currently licensed to operate until 2029 (Unit 2) and 2031 (Unit 3), after receiving its first NRC license renewal in 2004.

Located in Morris Illinois, the two-unit Dresden Generating Station generates close to 1,800 MW of electricity at capacity. Units 2 and 3 were put into service in the 1970s and are General Electric boiling water reactors. Unit 1 was previously retired.

Clinton Power Station, appropriately in Clinton, Illinois, also has a single GE boiling water reactor. The plant can produce up to 1,080 MW and began commercial operation in 1987.

Clinton and Dresden, along with three other Illinois plants, were headed toward early retirement as their operations increasingly were unprofitable. But, in July 2021, an Illinois bill made the state’s nuclear fleet a key part of plans to reach net zero carbon emissions in power generation by 2050. The measure included keeping carbon-free nuclear generation in the mix, while also increasing investment in renewable energy projects.

The move came just days after Exelon filed its decommissioning plan with federal regulators. The utility had planned to close its Byron and Dresden nuclear power plants in Illinois, short of a deal to help improved reactor plant economics.

The federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed in August includes a nuclear production tax credit aimed at supporting continued operation of the nation’s nuclear fleet for at least nine years.

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