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Photo provided by Duke Energy
| Who: | Duke Energy |
| What: | Application for an Early Site Permit |
| When: | Application submitted December 30, 2025; application accepted and currently under review, February 2025 - May 2027 (estimated) |
| Website: | www.duke-energy.com/stokes |
| Dashboard: | Belews Creek Early Site Permit Dashboard |
On this page:
- Project Overview
- Key Milestones
- Topical Reports
- Public Meeting Materials and Meeting Summaries
- Audits and Audit Reports
- Exemption Requests
- Contacts
For additional detail, see the following related pages:
Project Overview
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is currently reviewing the Duke Energy's Early Site Permit (ESP) application for the Belews Creek Site in Stokes County, North Carolina.
Additional information on pre-application activities can be obtained from ADAMS using a search by docket number 99902121. Additional information on application activities can be obtained from ADAMS using a search by docket number 05200055.
Federal Register Notices related to this ESP application are available on the federal rulemaking website by searching for docket ID NRC-2025-2161.
Key Events and Milestones
| Key Event or Milestone | Completion Date Actual - A Target - T |
|---|---|
| Federal Register Notice of Receipt and Availability Duke Energy Corporation; Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application (91 FR 542) issued. | January 7, 2026 – A |
| Duke Energy - Application for an Early Site Permit for the Duke Energy Belews Creek, NC Site, Revision 0 (ML25364A005), Enclosure 2 (ML25364A006) received. | December 30, 2025 – A |
| Federal Register Notice of Receipt and Availability Duke Energy Corporation; Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application (91 FR 5111), week 1, issued. | February 4, 2026 – A |
| Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application Acceptance and Schedule Letter (ML26016A624). | February 9, 2026 – A |
| Federal Register Notice of Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application Acceptance and Opportunity for Hearing (91 FR 5787) issued (ML26016A623). | February 9, 2026 – A |
| Federal Register Notice of Receipt and Availability Duke Energy Corporation; Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application (91 FR 6268), week 2, issued. | February 11, 2026 – A |
| Federal Register Notice of Receipt and Availability Duke Energy Corporation; Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application (91 FR 7546), week 3, issued. | February 18, 2026 – A |
| Federal Register Notice of Receipt and Availability Duke Energy Corporation; Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application (91 FR 9303), week 4, issued. | February 25, 2026 – A |
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy) - Submittal of Supplemental Information to Support the Maximum Hypothetical Accident Analysis in Support of an Early Site Permit Application for the Duke Energy Belews Creek, NC Site – Revision 1 (ML26099A318). | April 9, 2026 – A |
| Federal Register Notice Duke Energy Corporation; Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application Mandatory Hearing Public Meeting (91 FR 50896) issued. | August 6, 2026 – A |
| Duke Energy Corporation; Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application Mandatory Hearing Public Meeting, Meeting Notice (ML26230A271), Meeting Slides (ML26265A057). | September 17, 2026 – A |
| Letter - Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application Fixed Fee Cap Letter and Updated Schedule (ML26259A008). | September 29, 2026 – A |
| Safety Review | |
| Draft Safety Evaluation — Safety Evaluation sections drafted, and information gaps identified. | July 2026 - A |
| Advanced Safety Evaluation — Begin NRC management, legal, and Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards review of SE sections. | December 2026 - T |
| Final Safety Evaluation — Final Safety Evaluation updated and issued. | February 2027 - T |
| Environmental Review | |
| Issue Draft Environmental Impact Statement. | December 2026 - T |
| Final Environmental Impact Statement. | March 2027 - T |
| Hearing | September 17, 2026 - A |
| ESP Decision | TBD |
Topical Reports
| Submittal Date | Title | Reference | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| None at this time. | |||
Public Meeting Materials and Meeting Summaries
| Meeting Date | Title |
|---|---|
| None at this time. | |
Audits and Audit Reports
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 02/23/2026 | Duke Energy Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application Audit Plan (ML26042A256), issued. |
Exemption Requests
| Title | Status/Report |
|---|---|
| None at this time. | |
Contacts
| Contacts for Duke Energy’s Belews Creek, N.C., Site | |
|---|---|
| Safety Project Manager (lead) | Emmanuel Sayoc |
| Safety Project Manager (co-lead) | Kodaran Anand |
| Environmental Project Manager | Bill Burris |
| Contact a Public Affairs Officer | |