AmerGen Energy Co. this week submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend the operating license of Three Mile Island Unit 1 Generating Station by 20 years.

Three Mile Island is an 852-megawatt generating station in Dauphin County. Its current operating license expires in April 2014. NRC approval of the application would extend the license until April 2034.

“This is an important milestone for the employees of Three Mile Island and the residents of central Pennsylvania,” said Russell West, TMI Site Vice President. “AmerGen’s commitment to continue the operation of Three Mile Island means 20 more years of clean, safe and reliable energy for our region.”

Supervisor Daryl LeHew of Londonderry Township said. “I believe this is very good news for our community. Three Mile Island is a clean source of electricity, is a major contributor to the local economy and plays a major role in supporting charitable causes important to many residents in the area.”

A license renewal team has collectively worked 60,000 hours preparing the 1,800-page application. This involved review of thousands of documents, a detailed review of equipment and component performance and a rigorous review of the existing maintenance and engineering programs to ensure that the station is capable of maintaining plant systems over the extended license period.

AmerGen also conducted a study to ensure there will be no increased environmental impacts from the extended operating life of the plant.

Three Mile Island is subject to an ongoing, rigorous program of oversight and inspection by the NRC, led by two full-time inspectors at the station, as well as supplemental inspectors from the NRC regional headquarters. The plant has its own extensive programs in preventive and corrective maintenance, equipment testing and monitoring, and equipment replacement.

The NRC is expected to spend 22 to 30 months to review the application before making a decision. The public will have opportunities to participate in the process.

Three Mile Island began commercial operations in September 1974. The plant has an excellent operating record including setting four separate world records for continuous days of operation for a pressurized water reactor, one of two primary reactor designs in the United States. Of 439 operating commercial reactors worldwide, 264 are pressurized water reactors.

Since purchasing Three Mile Island in December 1999, AmerGen has invested more than $100 million in upgrades to plant equipment and facilities, not including security enhancements. The company expects to invest another $300 million during the fall 2009 refueling outage to replace both of the plant’s steam generators and make other equipment enhancements. The company spends another $10 million annually to ensure plant mechanical systems meet or exceed requirements.

Three Mile Island safely produces enough carbon-free electricity to power about 800,000 homes. Each year it operates, Three Mile Island avoids more than 5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide that would be generated from a replacement coal-fired plant.

The station plays a positive role in the economy of Pennsylvania, annually providing about $170 million in statewide economic impact through direct and indirect compensation and the purchase of materials and supplies. This includes an economic impact of nearly $50 million in Dauphin County. In addition, Three Mile Island and its employees contributed nearly $250,000 to the United Way and other non-profit organizations in the area in 2007.

The NRC has approved license renewal for 48 generating stations and 38 other license renewal applications are pending or have been announced. At Exelon, the NRC approved license extensions for the Peach Bottom Generating Station in York County, Pa. in 2003 and the Dresden and Quad Cities Generating Stations in Illinois in 2004. The NRC is currently reviewing a license renewal application for Oyster Creek Generating Station in New Jersey.

For more information, visit the Three Mile Island Unit 1 Generating Station website.

1/11/2008