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The article focuses on the licensing of reactor projects by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Topics discussed include the cost of producing a combined construction and operating license (COL) for a new power reactor, the AP1000 pressurized water reactor of Westinghouse, and the construction of Watts Bar-2, Vogtle-3 and -4 and Summer-2 and -3 pressurized water reactors. Also noted is the issuance of COL to Fermi-3 economic simplified boiling water reactor (ESBWR) of DTE Energy.

The article reports on the importance of the review of Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s Diablo Canyon's license amendment request for a digital instrumentation & control (I&C) modification in providing lessons for future applications of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Interim Staff Guidance document Digital Instrumentation and Controls ISG-06 "Licensing Process." Topics include digital process protection system, obsolescence and maintenance issues, and licensing digital I&C system.

The article reports that the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) authorized the nuclear site license to NNB Generation Company (NNB GenCo.) for the development of the European Pressurized Reactor units in Great Britain. However, further consent is still needed from the Environment Agency, and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. The proposed installation is at Hinkley Point C in Somerset.

The article reports on the results of a survey on the performance of nuclear reactors in the U.S. in 2011. The survey showed that capacity factor of all nuclear reactors in the country in the last four periods demonstrated similar results indicating a high level of sustainability. Eight nuclear reactors have been identified for license renewal while 71 reactors were approved for license renewal at the end of 2011. Information on design electrical rating of reactors is provided.

The article highlights the mandatory hearing conducted by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) commissioners for the combined construction and operating licenses (COL) filed by Southern Nuclear Operating Co. for its Voglet plant site in Waynesboro, Georgia. The company sought for an approval of a license to operate two pressurized water reactors from Westinghouse. The NRC staff decided to implement requirements before the approval of the license such as the initial emergency action levels.

The article discusses the highlights of the Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Exposition (UWC), sponsored by the American Nuclear Society's (ANS) Operations and Power Division, held August 14-17, 2011 in Hollywood, Florida. It reports on the increase in the number of attendees who registered in advance for the meeting. Key trends relating to reactor licensing and small modular reactor (SMR) development are highlighted.

The article reports on the decision of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to remove two applications for combined construction and operating licenses (COL) and one for an early site permit (ESP) in the U.S. in January 2011. It says that one of the entries removed was for Alternate Energy Holdings Inc., which has applied for COL for one or more reactors at a site in Payette County, Idaho. The author adds that the NRC did not identify two out of the three parties involved in the removed applications. The updated histogram of the NRC is also discussed.

The article offers forecasts for the nuclear industry in the U.S. for 2011. It expects limited work authorization (LWA) before the proliferation of combined operating license (COL), and the completion of unfinished reactors by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). A discussion on the COL applications expected this year is given, including the Vogtle-3 and -4, the Summer-2 and -3, and Comanche Peak -3 and -4, as well as North Anna-3 and Levy-1 and -2.

The article reports on the status of the proposed restoration of the construction permits (CPs) for the Tennessee Valley Authority's Bellefonte-1 and -2 power reactors in Alabama. A petition opposing the restoration of the CPs was denied by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB). The ASLB ruling was appealed by the petitioners, but the board maintained that it did not err in reaching its decision.

The article discusses the responses of several applicant companies to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) issuance of two regulatory issue summaries (RIS) in February 2010, which prompt applicants for NRC actions under 10 CFR Part 52 to provide advance notification of requests planned for fiscal year 2012. The move was aimed at enabling the NRC to plan its budget. Among the firms that responded to the RIS were Duke Energy, Southern Nuclear Operating Company and Alternate Energy Holdings Inc.

Maps indicating the locations of commercial nuclear power plants in tnuclear power plants ihe U.S. and charts that list power reactor license renewal are presented.

This section offers news briefs concerning the nuclear industry as of August 2009. A bid was received by Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd. from Areva on July 9, 2009 to supply two electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) pressurized water reactors. Southern Nuclear has a plan to apply for another construction and operating licenses (COL) in late 2011. The Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. has announced that National Research Universal (NRU) isotope production will not resume until the end of 2009.

The article presents a discussion about the productivity of old nuclear reactors in the U.S. It is noted that 2009 is the license renewal year for the nuclear energy industry in the country. A survey found that 61 reactors produced more energy from 2006-2008 than in 2003-2005. It is asserted that old reactor lag when it comes to productivity.

The article considers the possible consequences of a 2008 decision by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to renew the licenses of 104 operating power reactor units beyond their original 40-and 60-year term. It notes several reasons for the likelihood of nuclear reactors to apply for the 60-year term. The technical challenges of operating beyond the 40-year term are also outlined. Also suggested are measures that nuclear power plant operators can do to address the challenges of operating beyond 40 and 60 years.

Maps of commercial nuclear power plants worldwide as of December 31, 2007 are presented with information on U.S. power reactor license renewal as well as nuclear facilities no longer in service.

The article discusses several perspectives on nuclear industry for 2008. According to the author, there are at least 10 combined construction and operating license (COL) applications in the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for 4 different reactor technologies by the end of the year. It says that each new project for baseload nuclear energy is based on a reactor design that has been approved by the NRC, is under review or is to be submitted for certification.

This section offers news briefs on the nuclear industry in the U.S. NRG Energy submitted a construction and operation license application for its South Texas site to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In an effort to expand the worldwide use of nuclear energy, several nations have signed on to support the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership proposed by the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. Exelon Nuclear terminated the contract of Wackenhut Nuclear Security at Peach Bottom nuclear plant in Pennsylvania.

The article presents information on several papers discussed at the 2006 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants held in Reno, Nevada on June 4-8. One of the first of its six plenary sessions was on infrastructure for the deployment of new reactors. The priorities for expected license applicants was listed by Nils J. Diaz, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Georges Serviere of Electricté de France summarized the situation in Europe.

Presents news briefs on the nuclear industry as of April 2006. Information on a nonradioactive fire incident at the Ohi plant of Kansai Electric Power Co. in Japan; Application for a license renewal by Entergy Nuclear for its boiling water reactors in Massachusetts and Vermont; Agreement of the Russian government to provide 60 metric tons of low-enriched uranium at the Tarapur plant in India.

Presents updates on the nuclear industry in the U.S. as of August 2005. Submission of nuclear power plant Oyster Creek's license renewal application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Approval of a planned merger between Exelon and Public Service Enterprise Group; Promotion of a pebble bed modular reactor design for the U.S. Department of Energy's Next Generation Nuclear Plant project by Westinghouse Electric Co.

Presents news briefs regarding the nuclear industry as of April 2005. Decision of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission on the proposal of Dominion Energy to purchase a pressurized water reactor in Carlton; Start of the operations of pressurized water reactor designed by Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd. in the country; Plans of Duke Power Co. for the application of a license for a new nuclear capacity for operation in the U.S.

Presents news briefs on nuclear power plants as of March 2005. Release of a construction license for a nuclear power plant in Finland which will be developed by Teollisuuden Voima Oy; Approval of a loan-backing for Westinghouse Electric Company which will be used to bid advanced pressurized water reactors to the People's Republic of China; Decision of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend the materials licenses of Safety Light Corporation.

The article reports the move by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on February 4, 2015 to schedule additional hearings for the combined construction and operating license (COL) application of DTE Electric Co. for its planned Fermi-3 nuclear power plant project near Monroe, Michigan. Among the issues on the project is the designation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the species rufa red knot bird and the northern long-eared bat, which live in the region, as endangered.

The article presents an overview of the response to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown in the U.S. based on the recommendations and subtasks from the Near-Term Task Force report of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and its licensees. One proposes the establishment of a regulatory framework for protection that balances defense-in-depth and risk considerations. Another recommends evaluation of enhancements to the capability to mitigate seismically induced fires and floods.

The article reports on the developments in the U.S. nuclear power industry. The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) has recommended to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to approve the license renewal application by Exelon Generation for its Limerick power facility in Pennsylvania. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit rejected the appeal by the Massachusetts government concerning the license renewal of the Pilgrim plant on February 25, 2013.

The article focuses on the endorsement by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of the Nuclear Energy Institute's (NEI) proposal for licensees to comply with NRC actions taken in early 2012. In early June 2012, the NRC issued draft versions of interim staff guidance on three actions that include a reanalysis of each plant's seismic and flooding risks, seismic and flooding walkdowns and assurance of protection from external events of reserve equipment.

The article reports on the decision issued by the U.S. Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) favoring the application of Nuclear Innovation North America (NINA) concerning the combined construction and operating licenses (COL) for the latter's South Texas-3 and -4 nuclear reactors. ASLB, however, is yet to decide on whether the project is foreign-owned, -controlled, or -dominated (FOCD). NINA is a company owned by NRG Energy and Japanese firm Toshiba.

The article reports on the decision of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to renew the operating licenses of Nuclear States Power Co.'s Prairie Island-1 and -2 power reactors and the Salem-1 and -2 owned by PSEG Nuclear LLC. The NRC has extended the license of Prairie Island- 1 to August 9, 2033 and Unit 2 to October 29, 2033 after a hearing presided by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board. Licenses of Salem-1 and -2 have been extended until August 13, 2036 and April 18, 2040.

The article discusses the June 2010 report by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concerning its investigation on the move by NRC chairperson Gregory Jaczko to stop the NRC's evaluation of the license application for the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain nuclear repository project. Based on the probe, Jaczko failed to inform the other commissioners of his decision. Jaczko, however, claimed that he sought the support of commissioners William Magwood and George Apostolakis.

The article reports on the nuclear reactor models that have reached the last stage of the design certification process of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in the U.S. in March 2011, namely the AP1000 pressurized water reactor design of Westinghouse Electric Co., the ESBWR of GE Hitachi and the ABWR of Toshiba. It says that the AP1000 is being used in applications for combined construction and operating licenses (COL). According to the author, the nuclear safety issues are resolved for license applications that follow the certified design.

The article offers the review target dates at nuclear sites in Levy County, Florida for April 2012. Joseph Colaccino of the Office of New Reactors' Division of New Reactor Licensing reported that UniStar's Calvert Cliffs-3 project in Maryland included a pending request for additional information. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff modified the technical review schedules for Progress Energy's twin AP1000s. A summary report for Florida Power & Light Company's combined license (COL) application for twin AP1000s has been issued by NRC.

This section presents updates on the licenses of various nuclear reactors in the U.S. as of October 2010. The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) on September 2, 2010 has dismissed Dominion Generation's combined construction and operating license (COL) application for North Anna-3 in Virginia as moot. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has finished the third stage of the environmental review for UniStar Nuclear Energy's COL application for Calvert Cliffs-3 in Maryland.

The article reports on a license renewal application submitted by FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) on August 30, 2010 to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its David-Besse pressurized water reactor near Oak Harbor, Ohio. If approved, the license renewal will add 20 years to its current April 22, 2017 license expiration. It is the 80th nuclear reactor seeking for license renewal. The company has been also following a three-year schedule for the submission of license renewal applications.

The article reports on the steps taken by the British government to restart its nuclear program. The government has published a white paper wherein it stated that the industry will be allowed to invest in nuclear power, while the government would be tasked with facilitating these steps. The country has also taken measures to shorten the approval process for energy projects, including the construction of new nuclear plants.

The article discusses the highlights of a prehearing conference on the possible reinstatement of construction permits for the two partially constructed reactors at the Bellefonte project in Tennessee. The event was conducted by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in response to a petition filed in opposition to the reinstatement of the permits. Representatives of TVA and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) argued that none of the issues is relevant to the reinstatement of the permits.

The article reports the inclusion by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission of guidelines to its staff on how to address new reactors' life-cycle emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in its reviews of license applications. The guidelines were included in its November 3, 2009 memorandum and order from the commissioners which intends to make more unified reviews and to facilitate the staff in updating their own guidance documents.

The article reports that Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) has notified the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that it expects to submit the application for combined construction and operating licenses (COL) for new power reactors on June 30, 2009. The company is proposing to build two Westinghouse AP1000 pressurized water reactors at its Turkey Point site near Florida City, Florida. FPL also intends to request a limited work authorization (LWA) in order to get an early start on site activities not related to nuclear safety.

The article reports on the move by Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) on January 30, 2009 to file with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission one part of a license application to build a laser-based uranium enrichment plant. GLE, a business venture of General Electric Co., Hitachi Ltd. and Cameco Corp., plans to submit the remainder of the application by June. The uranium enrichment plant will be constructed at the site of the GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy headquarters in Wilmington, North Carolina.

The article reports on a petition by the Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board's (ASLB) initial decision in favor of license renewal for Entergy Nuclear Operations' Pilgrim reactor. The petition is intended to restore to the proceeding the Attorney General's earlier contention regarding spent fuel pool risks.

The article reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) dismissed claims regarding contention on metal fatigue calculations in the area near the Oyster Creek Reactor near Forked River, New Jersey. According to NRC, no adequate case were presented by the petitioners, a group of citizen organizations led by the Nuclear Information and Research Service (NIRS), for them to overturn the ruling of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB). License of the reactor is until April 9, 2009.

The article deals with the submission of a license application by the U.S. Department of Energy to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on June 3, 2008 for the Yucca Mountain repository project. The NRC will be conducting a preliminary review to determine whether the application is complete. The license is for the construction of a spent fuel and high-level waste repository in Nevada.

The article reports on the construction of the National Enrichment Facility of LES in Lea County, New Mexico. A sixth-generation gas centrifuge technology from Urenco will be used at the facility. In 2003, a license application was filed by LES with the National Regulatory Commission (NRC). It is the first major nuclear facility allowed to be constructed in country in thirty years. Enriched uranium for fuel rods for nuclear power plants will be manufactured by the facility.

The article reports on a letter of intent signed by Progress Energy for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build two Westinghouse AP1000 advanced pressurized water reactors in Levy County, Florida. It mentions that the application for a combined construction and operating license (COL) for Levy is assumed to be submitted in July 2008, with first-unit startup expected in 2016. It states that there might be a contract for the projects before the application arrives at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The article reports on the decision of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to accept for review the combined construction and operating license (COL) application of NRG Energy and STP Nuclear Operating Co. (STPNOC). The need for more detail on hydrological engineering and the exclusion of enough detail on alternative site selection and cultural resource surveying in the environmental report are some of the issues identified in the acceptance review.

The article focuses on the revision in the licensing procedures of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) after investigators from the Government Accountability Office posing as business owners were able to obtain a license to buy the radioactive material needed for a bomb. Under the revised procedures, applications will receive a visit from the NRC or will have to visit the NRC offices to prove their authenticity. The report "Nuclear Security: Federal and State Action Needed to Improve Security of Sealed Radioactive Sources" is also detailed.

This article presents an overview of U.S. state laws that may influence the development of new nuclear reactors. A description of the license application process within the nuclear industry is presented. Nine states have laws in effect that block the addition of new reactors, while five states make the construction of new reactors a special case that would require extra approval beyond ordinary state-agency permitting.

Offers news briefs on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the U.S. as of March 2006. Issuance of the Generic Letter 2006-01 by the commission to licensees of 60 pressurized water reactors on January 20; Proposal of the commission to change its employee protection regulations to clarify its authority over contractors.

Presents news briefs concerning the nuclear industry in Great Britain as of October 2005. Introduction of a draft for decommissioning and cleaning the nuclear sites in Great Britain by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on August 11; Release of the report "The Economics of Climate Change," from the Select Committee on Economic Affairs of the House of Lords; Policy statement for delicensing nuclear sites published by the Health and Safety Executive on August 15.

Discusses strategies to advance nuclear energy in the U.S. Enactment of a legislation that provides financial protection from low probability but high consequence events; Deployment of Generation III design reactors; Modernization of nuclear plant licensing processes.