The owner of the Clinton nuclear power plant has filed its application for a license extension with the federal government.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will review the proposal from Constellation Energy to allow the plant to operate another 20 years, through 2047. It can take about a year and a half to review an application, though a preliminary completeness check of the application and potential hearings can extend the timeline.
Constellation also plans to ask for a license extension for its Dresden reactors near Morris. Following an announcement that then-owner Exelon would close Clinton and Dresden, in 2016 the company received state help to keep the facility open. At the time, critics of the nuclear industry predicted the company would come back later with additional requests for state aid.
“Future policy and market conditions will ultimately determine how long the plant operates,” Constellation said on Thursday.
The company noted enactment of the federal nuclear production tax credit in 2022 extended federal policy support through 2032.
Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez said Thursday that nuclear energy can play a key role in helping to reduce emissions in difficult-to-decarbonize industries that account for as much as quarter of all the world’s carbon pollution.
“Sustained investment in our nation’s nuclear power plants, which provide about half of all the clean energy on the grid and are the most reliable source of energy, is essential. We look forward to continuing to contribute to Illinois’ clean energy future and serving as an economic engine for the local community for as long as market or policy support remains in place," said Dominguez.
Constellation said Illinois would need more than 1,000 new wind turbines to generate the same amount of electricity that Clinton can generate under the extended license.
The Clinton plant is an economic enginefor Dewitt County, employing more than 530 people. That can double during refueling and other maintenance outages.
“The Clinton Clean Energy Center is not only the largest carbon-free electricity source in central Illinois, but it also provides a major boost to the economy,” said Dan Matthews, president of the Clinton School District board of education and a member of the DeWitt County Board.
“The more than $13 million in annual property taxes supports education and county services, and the large number of employees live here and spend money, which supports local business and creates additional jobs.”
The reactor produces enough baseload, carbon-free electricity to power the equivalent of 800,000 homes, according to Constellation. The company estimated renewing the operating license will provide the State of Illinois an estimated 179-terawatt hours of additional carbon-free electricity over the 20-year extended lifespan of the license.
