NRC Preparing to Leverage Current Regulatory Tools to Restart a Shuttered Plant
The Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC), permanently ceased operations on August 10, 2020, after more than 45 years of commercial operation. In early 2025, NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC (NextEra), the licensee for DAEC expressed an interest in returning the plant to an operational status and resuming commercial operation.
This effort will involve NextEra explaining how it will (1) return plant components to a status that supports safe operation; (2) restore the licensing basis of the plant to an operational status, and (3) make any upgrades necessary to meet the proposed operational licensing basis.
NRC staff will carefully review the regulatory and licensing documents for the plant, inspect new and restored components necessary to operate safely, and continue ongoing oversight to ensure sufficiency of all plant systems and programs.
To provide oversight of this effort, the NRC is developing a charter for the Duane Arnold Energy Center Restart Panel, which will guide the staff efforts to review, inspect, and confirm that DAEC is ready to be returned to an operating facility. The Restart Panel will help coordinate licensing, inspection, and oversight activities across the agency to ensure that all aspects of the DAEC restart project are meeting the NRC’s safety, security, and environmental requirements. The DAEC Restart Panel Charter will be made publicly available once it is finalized.
Licensing Actions Under Review
The licensee for the Duane Arnold Energy Center, NextEra, is pursuing several licensing actions to restore the operational licensing basis for the plant.
Regulatory Path to Reauthorize Power Operations |
|
ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Submittal |
ML25023A265 |
01/23/2025 |
|
Kickoff Meeting |
N/A |
|
|
|
Request for Exemption from Certain Termination of License Requirements in 10 CFR 50.82 |
|
ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
N/A |
|
|
Submittal |
ML25023A270 |
01/23/2025 |
|
Acceptance Review |
|
|
|
RAI Letter |
|
|
Requests for additional information (RAIs) will be issued as needed for this action. |
RAI Response |
|
|
Final Documentation |
|
|
|
Estimated Completion |
|
Date as included in acceptance review |
|
Request to Revise Operating License and Technical Specifications to Support Resumption of Power Operations |
|
ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
|
|
|
Submittal |
|
|
|
Acceptance Review |
|
|
|
RAI Letter |
|
|
RAIs will be issued as needed for this action. |
RAI Response |
|
|
Final Documentation |
|
|
|
Estimated Completion |
|
Date as included in acceptance review |
|
Request to Revise the Administrative Technical Specifications to Support Resumption of Power Operations |
|
ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
|
|
|
Submittal |
|
|
|
Acceptance Review |
|
|
|
RAI Letter |
|
|
RAIs will be issued as needed for this action. |
RAI Response |
|
|
Final Documentation |
|
|
|
Estimated Completion |
|
Date as included in acceptance review |
|
Request to Reinstate the Emergency Plan to Support Resumption of Power Operations |
|
ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
|
|
|
Submittal |
|
|
|
Acceptance Review |
|
|
|
RAI Letter |
|
|
RAIs will be issued as needed for this action. |
RAI Response |
|
|
Final Documentation |
|
|
|
Estimated Completion |
|
Date as included in acceptance review |
|
Request to Update the Security Plan to Support Resumption of Power Operations |
|
ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
|
|
|
Submittal |
|
|
RAIs will be issued as needed for this action. |
Final Documentation |
|
|
|
Estimated Completion |
|
Date as included in acceptance review |
|
Inspection Activities
Numerous NRC inspections and other oversight activities are planned to assess NextEra’s readiness to restart the DAEC plant. In support of this effort the NRC established Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 2562, “Light-Water Reactor Inspection Program for Restart of Reactor Facilities Following Permanent Cessation of Power Operations.” The purpose of IMC 2562 is to:
- Establish oversight policies, requirements, and guidance for transitioning from a decommissioning reactor facility to an operational power reactor facility subject to the Reactor Oversight Process (ROP).
- Detail the requirements for the inspection activities and operational plant readiness to provide reasonable assurance for safe operations following reactivation of an operating license.
- Ensure other federal agencies, state and local governments, tribal governments, the public, and other applicable stakeholders are engaged and informed.
The NRC will assemble a site-specific inspection plan related to the oversight activities necessary to assess the effectiveness of NextEra’s actions related to the potential restart of DAEC in accordance with the NRC’s health, safety, and environmental standards. The series of inspections will provide input for developing an objective and documented basis for any NRC decision to transition DAEC back to the operating reactor inspection program and resume commercial power operations.
Publicly available inspection reports from the activities completed to date related to the efforts to resume power operations at DAEC will be listed below as they become available.
Previous NRC inspection reports from the operational period for DAEC, covering the year 2000 through the shutdown date of August 10, 202, have been made available for reference on the NRC’s Inspection Reports For Operating Power Reactors public page in the Duane Arnold section. Note that these inspection reports do not cover the decommissioning activities completed to date at the site.
To sign up to receive NRC correspondence related to the DAEC decommissioning, potential restart, and inspection activities join the Duane Arnold listserv distribution by filling out the Operating Reactor Correspondence form with your email information.
Public Meetings
The NRC will engage in several pre-submittal interactions with the DAEC staff on various topics related to the potential for restart, and will continue to host public meetings related to the potential for the DAEC to resume power operations throughout the project.
Continue to check the NRC Public Meeting Page for information on any additional meetings on the Duane Arnold Restart Project and associated actions.
Additional Activities
- NextEra is expected to provide a notice to the NRC of its intent to pursue subsequent license renewal as governed by 10 CFR 54, "Requirements for Renewal of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Power Plants." Additional information regarding the NRC’s subsequent license renewal process can be found on the NRC’s public website under the Reactor License Renewal heading.
For additional questions please use the NRC’s newly established email address for topics specifically concerning the potential restart of DAEC, which is DuaneArnoldRestartProject@nrc.gov. Correspondence sent to this address will be routed to the appropriate NRC program office as needed, including the Office of Public Affairs.