Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Hundreds of employees at the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant in Glen Rose will benefit from a recent move by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission — a decision that will ultimately secure jobs for the next two decades.
The NRC announced July 30 the company has renewed the operating licenses of Comanche Peak Units 1 and 2 for an additional 20 years. According to a press release from NRC, the two units at Comanche Peak are pressurized-water reactors, with Unit 1’s operating license now set to expire Feb. 8, 2050, and Unit 2’s Feb. 2, 2053.
According to a news release by plant owner Vistra Energy, the company submitted a request to the NRC in October 2022, asking for an operation extension of the Comanche Peak plant through 2053 — an additional 20 years beyond its original licenses.
“With demand for electricity growing at a rapid pace, reliable sources of power, like Comanche Peak, are going to be absolutely essential to meeting that need,” Jim Burke, president and CEO of Vistra, said in the company’s news release. “Importantly, this demand growth is happening at the same time as the country is transitioning to cleaner energy sources and many fossil plants are retiring. Electricity is one of the most basic building blocks of the economy, and extending the operation of our nuclear fleet provides decades of support for both existing and growing sectors.”
According to the Vistra release, the NRC staff noted in an April report to NRC commissioners that Vistra's "proactive and voluntary efforts" helped improve the timeliness and efficiency of the license renewal process. The company voluntarily submitted three supplements to the applications, which the staff said contributed to a 70% reduction in its requests for information compared to previous license renewals.
“We take pride in the part we play every day in powering the grid with carbon-free energy,” Vistra’s Chief Nuclear Officer Ken Peters said in the news release. “Our dedicated Comanche Peak team operates the plant safely and at a high level of performance, and I’m proud that this record of excellence has paved the way to securing another 20 years of operation. I want to acknowledge the tremendous work by the team who facilitated one of the most efficient license renewal efforts with the NRC.”
A two-unit facility, Comanche Peak is the third of Vistra’s four nuclear plants to receive its license extension from the NRC. Once the application was submitted, NRC conducted a two-track review, releasing a safety evaluation report in March and a final supplemental environmental impact statement in April.
“The NRC is satisfied Vistra met all of the requirements to renew the licenses,” NRC Public Affairs Officer Scott Burnell told the Hood County News.
The extension of Comanche Peak’s operation ensures continued economic benefits to the local area — especially since the plant is operated by more than 600 employees and more than 200 permanent contractors.
According to the Vistra press release, refueling outages for the two reactors require supplemental workers and bring in anywhere from 800-1,200 skilled technicians from across the country. As the contractors are brought in, they bring a source of substantial additional economic activity for hotels, restaurants and related businesses in the area.
The renewal of Comanche Peak's operating licenses not only promises job security for its employees but also underscores its significant economic impact, as the plant stands as the largest taxpayer in Somervell County — contributing more than $30 million annually in state and local taxes.
As demand for reliable and clean energy continues to rise, Comanche Peak will serve as a vital asset in both the energy sector and the local economy for many years to come.
For more information about Comanche Peak’s license renewal, visit VistraCorp.com.
