ML24095A179

News Release-24-016: NRC Issues Annual Assessments for Nation’S Nuclear Plants

ML24095A179
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Issue date:	03/01/2024
From:	Office of Public Affairs
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News Release-24-016
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No: 24-016 March 1, 2024 CONTACT: Scott Burnell, 301-415-8200 NRC Issues Annual Assessments for Nations Nuclear Plants

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued annual letters to the nations operating commercial nuclear reactors assessing their performance in 2023.

Of the 94 reactors currently in the agencys Reactor Oversight Process, 88 reached the highest performance category in safety and security. Those reactors (including Vogtle Unit 4, which was authorized for operation last year) remain under the NRCs baseline inspection program, involving thousands of inspection hours for each reactor.

Six reactors were in the second performance category, as they need to resolve one or two items of low safety significance. For this performance level, regulatory oversight includes additional inspection and follow-up of corrective actions. Reactor s in this category are Calvert Cliffs Unit 1 (Maryland), Columbia (Washington), River Bend (Louisiana), V.C. Summer (South Carolina); and Watts Bar Units 1 and 2 (Tennessee).

There were no reactors in the third or fourth categories, which trigger additional NRC oversight, or the fifth categor y, which requires a reactor to shut down to address its performance problems.

Later this spring and summer, the NRC will host public meetings or other events to discuss the details of the plants annual assessment results. S eparate announcements will be issued for the public assessment meeting s.

The NRCs website outlines oversight of commercial nuclear power on the Reactor Oversight Process page. The NRC routinely updates each plants current performance and posts the latest information as it becomes available to the action matrix summary. Assessment letters are posted at https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/listofasmrpt.html (click on 2023006 for each plant). All plants also received an NRC inspection plan for the coming year in their annual assessment letter.