Christopher M. Crane Clean Energy Center

On this page:

• NRC Preparing to Leverage Current Regulatory Tools to Restart a Shuttered Plant
• Licensing Actions Under Review
• Inspection Activities
• Public Meetings
• Additional Activities
• Other Documents of Interest

NRC Preparing to Leverage Current Regulatory Tools to Restart a Shuttered Plant

The Christopher M. Crane Clean Energy Center (CCEC), formerly Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI-1)¹, permanently ceased operations on September 26, 2019, after more than 40 years of commercial operation. In late 2024, Constellation Energy Generation, LLC, (Constellation, CEG), the licensee for the CCEC, expressed an interest in returning the plant to an operational status.

To restart CCEC, Constellation would need to (1) gain NRC approval to restore the licensing basis of the plant to an operational status; (2) return plant components to a status that supports safe operation; 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 has established the CCEC Restart Panel (ML25013A196), which will guide the staff efforts to review, inspect, and confirm that CCEC 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 CCEC restart project are meeting the NRC’s safety, security, and environmental requirements.

¹ By amendment no. 306 to Renewed Facility License No. DPR-50, dated May 13, 2025, the NRC approved a request by CEG to change the name of the facility from “Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1” to “Christopher M. Crane Clean Energy Center.”

Licensing Actions Under Review

The licensee for the CCEC, Constellation, is pursuing several licensing actions to restore the operational licensing basis for the plant.

During  the course of the review of the initial suite of licensing actions necessary to support the return of the CCEC to a power operations licensing basis, the NRC issued a letter to CEG informing the licensee of estimated NRC staff hours and completion dates for the licensing actions outlined above, including time required by the NRC staff to complete its review of the environmental impacts from the proposed licensing actions. The letter is available for public review at ADAMS Accession No. ML25345A027. 

Restart Environmental Review 

The CCEC potential reauthorization of power operations project is undergoing a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review. NEPA requires Federal agencies to assess the reasonably foreseeable environmental effects (impacts) of proposed Federal actions, such as the licensing actions under review to support potential restart of CCEC, prior to making decisions. Therefore, the proposed Federal actions for the potential reauthorization of power operations at CCEC require a NEPA review.

Level of NEPA Review

A proposed Federal action can involve one of three different levels of analysis, depending on the significance of a proposed Federal action's potential effects on the environment: Categorical Exclusion (CATEX); Environmental Assessment (EA); and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The NRC staff, after reviewing the criteria in 10 CFR 51.20, 10 CFR 51.21, and 10 CFR 51.22, as well as the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) Office Instruction LIC-203, Revision 4, “Procedural Guidance for Preparing Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Assessments, and Considering Environmental Issues,” has determined that an EA, with a draft comment period is the appropriate level of NEPA review for the CCEC potential reauthorization of power operations project. Based on the EA, the NRC takes one of following two actions:

•    Preparation of a "finding of no significant impact" (FONSI): If the action is determined to not have a significant impact on the environment, the NRC will prepare a FONSI as specified in 10 CFR 51.32; or
•    Preparation of an EIS: If the NRC determines that the proposed action has the potential to significantly impact the environment, the NRC will prepare an EIS.
For the CCEC potential reauthorization of power operations project, the EA will identify the key environmental impacts of the project and, if no significant impacts are found, a FONSI will be prepared.

Audit

As part of the NRC’s environmental review, the staff conducted an environmental regulatory audit (ML25364A023). The audit was conducted during the environmental review with the intent to gain understanding, verify information, and identify information required to support the basis of the licensing or regulatory decisions necessary for the reauthorization of power operations at CCEC.

During the environmental audit, the NRC reviewed documents that were made available in response to the NRC staff's draft requests for additional information (RAIs). The NRC also participated in site visits and breakout sessions for each resource area with applicant personnel to gather information that will likely be used in the EA. Following the audit, RAIs and requests for confirmatory information (RCIs) were issued to the licensee (ML26055A068 (includes audit summary report) and ML26084A075). By letter dated March 30, 2026 (ML26090A132), Constellation submitted responses to the NRC staff’s RAIs and RCIs. 

Draft EA and Draft FONSI

The NRC staff will prepare a draft EA and draft FONSI documenting its environmental review. Based on the environmental review, the NRC staff made a preliminary determination that the proposed actions would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment, and the NRC staff made a preliminary determination that it will not prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and that a draft FONSI is warranted. The NRC will offer a 30-day public comment period. Methods for submitting comments will be included in the Federal Register Notice.

Final EA and FONSI or EIS

After consideration of the public comments, the NRC staff will make a final determination as to whether preparation of an EIS is necessary or whether a FONSI can be issued for the licensing and regulatory approvals for the CCEC.

Major Milestones

Contacts

Kevin Folk (Kevin.Folk@nrc.gov)
Ashley Waldron, (Ashley.Waldron@nrc.gov)

Inspection Activities

Numerous NRC inspections and other oversight activities are planned to assess Constellation’s readiness to restart the CCEC 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 has assembled a site-specific inspection plan for the oversight activities necessary to assess the effectiveness of Constellation’s actions related to the potential restart of CCEC 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 CCEC 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 CCEC are listed below:

• January 27, 2026 - Decommissioning Inspection Report 05000289/2025001 and Restart Inspection Report 05000289/2025002
• January 27, 2026 - Plant Reference Simulator Inspection Report 05000289/2025010
• February 3, 2026 - Restart Inspection Activity Plan for Christopher M. Crane Clean Energy Center
• March 4, 2026 - Security Restart Inspection Report 05000289/2026401

Previous NRC inspection reports from the operational period for TMI-1, covering the year 2000 through the shutdown date of September 26, 2019, have been made available for reference on the Search Inspection Reports For Operating Power Reactors tool and filtering for "Three Mile Island 1 (289)", using the “Site/Plant Selection” option.  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 CCEC decommissioning, potential restart, and inspection activities join the CCEC 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 CCEC staff on various topics related to the potential for restart, and will continue to host public meetings related to the potential for the CCEC to resume power operations throughout the project.

On Thursday, July 31, 2025, the CCEC Restart Panel hosted an in-person public meeting in the vicinity of the CCEC site to discuss the NRC’s efforts related to regulation and oversight of the potential restart activities. A second meeting with the same agenda was held virtually on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, for those unable to attend in-person. The summary of those meetings is publicly available in ADAMS at ML25268A261.

Continue to check the NRC Public Meeting Page for information on any additional meetings on the CCEC Restart Project and associated actions.

Additional Activities

• On October 23, 2024, Constellation provided 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.” According to the notice, Constellation plans to submit an application for a second renewed operating license for the CCEC during the first quarter of 2029. 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.
• On December 6, 2024, Constellation submitted the Constellation Energy Generation, LLC, Decommissioning Quality Assurance Program, as well as the Crane Clean Energy Center Restoration Quality Assurance Program for informational purposes.
• On December 19, 2024, Constellation provided the results of an examination of the TMI-1 steam generator tubing conducted in Spring 2024. This was the first examination of the steam generator tubing since the plant shutdown in September 2019, at the end of Cycle 22. As documented in the associated Steam Generator Tube Inspection Report, the observed degradation in the TMI-1 steam generators identified during the Spring 2024 inspection did not challenge structural and leakage integrity requirements during the previous operating cycle, which was the last cycle TMI-1 operated before shutdown. On November 19, 2025, the NRC staff issued a request for additional information. On January 29, 2026, Constellation responded to the RAI.
• On January 13. 2025, Constellation submitted a license amendment request to approve a formal change of the facility name from Three Mile Island, Unit 1 to the Christopher M. Crane Clean Energy Center. This amendment was accepted for formal NRC review on January 23, 2025. By amendment no. 306, dated May 13, 2025, the NRC staff approved Constellation’s request to rename the facility.
• On March 31, 2025, Constellation submitted a request in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(4)(iv) to use the 2013 Edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI, for performing non-destructive examination and repair and replacement activities at the CCEC. The current code of record is the 2004 Edition. This request was accepted for formal NRC review on May 6, 2025. On August 15, 2025, the NRC staff issued a request for additional information (RAI). On September 15, 2025, Constellation responded to the RAI. On October 22, 2025, the NRC staff approved Constellation’s request. 
• On June 27, 2025, Constellation submitted a license amendment request to revise the facility license and technical specifications to allow receipt and possession of new nuclear fuel and new sealed neutron sources at the CCEC. This request was accepted for formal NRC review on August 7, 2025.
• On July 31, 2025, Constellation requested recission of two previous exemptions that allow Constellation to use the Decommissioning Trust Fund (DTF) for spent fuel management and site restoration activities, and for disbursements to be made from the DTF for those purposes without prior notice to the NRC. Rescinding the exemptions will reinstate the requirements in place when the unit was in operation. 
• On October 31, 2025, Constellation submitted an Environmental Report to support the NRCs staff’s environmental review for CCEC resumption of power operations.  

For additional questions please use the NRC’s newly established email address for topics specifically concerning the potential restart of the CCEC, which is CraneEnergyRestartProject@nrc.gov. Correspondence sent to this address will be routed to the appropriate NRC program office as needed, including the Office of Public Affairs.

No information exists at this present time.

1.0 Site Identification

2.0 Site Status Summary

The Christopher M. Crane Clean Energy Center, formerly the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 1 (see “Potential Restart” dropdown for more information) was a 2,568 MWt pressurized water reactor that began operation in 1974 and is owned by Constellation Energy Generation, LLC.   

Spent fuel has been moved into dry storage. NRC will continue to provide licensing oversight and inspections of the plant until the plant is completely decommissioned, including inspections of the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) until the spent fuel is permanently removed from the site and the license is terminated.

Significant Decommissioning Licensing Documents:

• Certification of Permanent Cessation of Power Operations
• Certification of Permanent Removal of Fuel from the Reactor Vessel
• Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR)
• Site-Specific Decommissioning Cost Estimate (DCE)

3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues

For information on the potential restart of the Christopher M. Crane Clean Energy Center, please see the “Potential Restart” dropdown.

4.0 Estimated Date for Closure

Calendar year 2079