NRC approves plan to extend license for Turkey Point nuclear power plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved Florida Power & Light’s proposal to add an additional 20 years of operation for the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Units 3 and 4 near Miami.

This is the first time the NRC has issued renewed licenses for operation extending from 60 to 80 years. Turkey Point Unit 3’s renewed license now expires on July 19, 2052. Unit 4’s renewed license expires on April 10, 2053.

The NRC laid out its rationale for extending operations in its final Safety Evaluation Report on the application issued in July. It further elaborated on the reasons in the October 2019 final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. The NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards also reviewed the safety aspects of renewing the licenses and approved it.

Florida Power and Light submitted the Turkey Point subsequent license renewal application on Jan. 30, 2018. It amended the application with additional information added on April 10, 2018.

Turkey Point is located on Biscayne Bay, 24 miles south of Miami and just east of the Homestead area. It has two nuclear power units that have been operating since 1972. They generate about 1,600 million watts of electricity — enough power to supply the annual needs of more than 900,000 homes