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Reactor's Lifespan At Issue

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By RUSSELL RAY

rray@tampatrib.com

Published: December 20, 2008

Progress Energy Florida has asked federal regulators to extend the life of its nuclear plant in Crystal River another 20 years.

The plant's 40-year operating license is set to expire in 2016, but the St. Petersburg-based utility filed an application for a 20-year renewal with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday.

"If you can get 20 years of additional operations out of an existing plant, that makes a lot of sense economically," said Progress Energy spokesman Rick Kimble. "You're not having to build a plant."

About half of the nation's 103 nuclear reactors have asked the commission for 20-year extensions.

"We are expecting the remainder to come in at some point and ask for it," said Scott Burnell, a spokesman for the commission.

Already, the commission has renewed the licenses of three nuclear facilities operated by Progress Energy Florida's sister utility in the Carolinas.

In addition to reviewing the environmental impact of the plant, the commission will be examining the utility's procedures for inspecting, maintaining and repairing the plant's aging equipment, Burnell said.

"We have to find that both of those areas have been appropriately addressed before we can come to a decision on whether or not we can renew their license," he said.

Regulators already have approved Progress Energy's plan to increase the capacity of the Crystal River nuclear plant by 15 percent.

Concerns about global warming and plans to limit emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming, have led utilities to build new nuclear reactors and extend the life of existing ones.

Thursday, Progress said it will close two coal-fired plants at Crystal River once two new nuclear reactors in Levy County are up and running in 2017.
Progress Energy planned to issue a news release on Monday about the filing, but made the announcement late Friday after receiving inquiries from the Tampa Tribune.

Reporter Russell Ray can be reached at (813) 259-7870.

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