The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will announce in the Sept. 15 Federal Register that it has received and is considering approval of an Aug. 18 application filed by Entergy Nuclear Operations Inc. (ENO) and Exelon Generation Co. LLC for the transfer of the license for the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant from ENO to Exelon.
The NRC is also considering amending the renewed facility operating license for administrative purposes to reflect the proposed transfer.
Comments must be filed within 30 days of the Federal Register notice. A request for a hearing must be filed within 20 days.
Exelon (NYSE: EXC) announced Aug. 9 that it had reached agreement with Entergy (NYSE:ETR) to assume ownership and management of the 838-MW FitzPatrick plant, located in Scriba, New York. The companies credited New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who asked the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) to adopt a Clean Energy Standard (CES) benefitting the state’s upstate nuclear power plants, for helping to facilitate the transaction.
Under the agreement totaling $110 million, Entergy would transfer FitzPatrick’s operating license to Exelon. The New York Power Authority has agreed to transfer the decommissioning trust fund and liability for FitzPatrick to Entergy, and if regulatory approvals are obtained and the transaction closes, Entergy would then transfer the fund and associated liability to Exelon.
Transaction closure is dependent upon regulatory review and approval by state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the NRC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the New York State Public Service Commission. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2017.
