Prairie Island License Renewal

We are asking to operate Units 1 and 2 until 2033 and 2034

Our application to renew for 20 years the operating licenses for the two reactors at Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant -- which expire in 2013 and 2014 -- awaits a final decision from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The decision is expected in 2011. In November 2009, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved our request for additional dry cask storage for used nuclear fuel at Prairie Island (Docket No. 08-510). The additional storage is needed to accommodate operations during the license expansion period. Currently 29 casks are filled and have been placed in the plant's dry storage facility. The Minnesota commission approved up to 35 additional casks to accommodate operations to 2033 and 2034.  

Also in November 2009, the Minnesota commission approved our request to expand the generating capacity of each of the two units at Prairie Island by 82 megawatts (Docket Nos. 08-509 and 08-690).  The "extended power uprate" would bring total plant capacity to approximately 1,260 MW. We plan to submit a license amendment application with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the extended power uprate after the federal commission acts on license renewal.

Both the federal and state proceedings provided extensive opportunity for public input at hearings, meetings and via written communications in recent years.

View the license renewal application, a timeline and other documents. Both the federal and state proceedings provided extensive opportunity for public input at hearings, meetings and via written communications in recent years.