Fermi 2 Power Plant Will Seek License Renewal
Officials at Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant said they have notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that they intend to apply for renewal of Fermi 2's operating license.
The current license expires in 2025; the renewal would permit the plant to operate an additional 20 years.
"Fermi 2 has produced safe, clean, reliable power for the past 23 years, and we want to continue serving the needs of southeast Michigan with our energy," Joe Plona, Fermi 2 site vice president, said. "We're proud to be part of this community and we look forward to continuing that service for many years to come."
DTE Energy will submit the Fermi 2 application to the NRC in 2014. Between now and that time, Fermi 2 will prepare for the application by conducting detailed engineering and environmental studies, in which plant systems and structures will be evaluated. The NRC then will review the application.
DTE has also applied for a new nuclear power plant at the Fermi site. DTE Energy filed the application with the NRC in 2008. Although the company expects that license to be issued in late 2012, it has not yet decided when the new plant might be built.
Fermi 2 has produced nearly 166 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity since it began commercial operation in 1988. The license extension will enable DTE Energy to maintain safe and cost-effective production in the future.
Fermi 2, a 1,140-megawatt nuclear power plant, is owned and operated by Detroit Edison, a subsidiary of DTE Energy. DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan, MichCon, a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan and other non-utility, energy businesses focused on gas storage and pipelines, unconventional gas production, power and industrial projects, and energy trading.
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