Dominion Energy Virginia secures extended operating licenses for two nuclear reactors

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Aug. 28 approved an application from Dominion Energy Virginia to extend operating licenses for the company’s North Anna Power Station for another 20 years.

With this 20-year extension, our customers can continue counting on North Anna for reliable, carbon-free power for another generation to come,” Eric Carr, Dominion Energy’s chief nuclear officer, said Wednesday.

The power station operates two nuclear reactors in Louisa County, Va., and generates enough carbon-free electricity to power 500,000 homes, according to Dominion Energy.

“For more than 50 years, nuclear power has been the most reliable workhorse of our fleet and the largest source of carbon-free power in Virginia,” said Carr. “North Anna operates around the clock, and generates the reliable, clean energy that powers our customers’ homes and businesses every day.”

To ensure the longevity of the North Anna Power Station, Dominion Energy is conducting numerous upgrades, including replacing the reactors’ main generators and condensers, refurbishing reactor coolant pumps and converting instrument and control systems from analog to digital, according to a statement released Wednesday.

The company is also implementing 80 enhancements to station procedures, such as additional inspections and equipment testing.

The North Anna units were originally licensed to operate for 40 years in 1978 and 1980, and those licenses were renewed for an additional 20 years in 2003 following a federal review process.

Under its current licenses, North Anna reactors 1 and 2 could have operated through 2038 and 2040, respectively, but the renewed licenses mean they can now operate through 2058 and 2060, respectively.

Dominion Energy plans to seek recovery of the costs associated with the license extension from the Virginia State Corporation Commission later this year.

Dominion Energy’s Surry Power Station — which received NRC approval in 2021 to extend its operating license through 2053 — along with North Anna together generate 40 percent of Virginia’s electricity and account for about 90 percent of the carbon-free power in the state.

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