ML25099A149
| ML25099A149 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Duane Arnold  |
| Issue date: | 04/22/2025 |
| From: | Luke Haeg Plant Licensing Branch 1 |
| To: | NextEra Energy Duane Arnold |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-LRM-0021 | |
| Download: ML25099A149 (1) | |
Text
April 22, 2025 LICENSEE:
NEXTERA ENERGY DUANE ARNOLD, LLC FACILITY:
DUANE ARNOLD ENERGY CENTER
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF MARCH 19, 2025, OBSERVATION PUBLIC MEETING WITH NEXTERA ENERGY DUANE ARNOLD, LLC REGARDING REGULATORY PATH FOR POTENTIALLY REQUESTING REAUTHORIZATION OF POWER OPERATIONS AT DUANE ARNOLD ENERGY CENTER (EPID L-2025-LRM-0021)
On March 19, 2025, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held a hybrid observation public meeting with representatives of NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC (NextEra, the licensee) at NRC Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the licensees January 23, 2025, letter, to NRC titled Duane Arnold Energy Center Regulatory Path to Potential Reauthorization of Power Operations (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML25023A265). The meeting notice and agenda, dated March 4, 2025, are available in ADAMS at Accession No. ML25064A594. A list of attendees is provided as an Enclosure. The licensees presentation slides are available in ADAMS at Accession No. ML25076A714.
The licensee began the presentation by stating the need to add generation infrastructure to meet growing energy demands. Their January 23, 2025, exemption request (Accession No. ML25023A270) and path to restart letter supporting the potential restart of Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC) were the first steps to meet those demands. After providing background information and the current plant status of DAEC, the licensee stated that a comprehensive evaluation was underway to assess plant systems as part of resuming operations. The licensee also provided an overview of restoration plans, restart readiness actions, and the NextEra fleet programs and procedures that DAEC would adopt. The NRC staff asked whether stakeholder outreach would be conducted regarding their planned emergency plan, as well as whether DAEC would join the NextEra fleet for the programs, and whether emergency drills would be conducted. The licensee stated that they were beginning preliminary discussions with state and local officials as part of their communication plan. DAECs engineering program, quality assurance (QA) plan, and emergency plan, among others would adopt the NextEra fleet programs. They would also be conducting emergency preparedness drills to ultimately support restart. The NRC staff encouraged the licensee to consider pre-submittal meetings for emergency plan-related submittals on long-lead time issues such as evacuation time estimates, emergency action level requirements, and notification systems. The licensee provided examples of major inspections and planned work as part of the potential restart. The NRC staff asked whether there would be one or more license amendment requests (LARs) to re-instate their technical specifications (TSs). The licensee stated that they planned to submit one LAR and show the differences between DAECs TSs prior to the 2020 shutdown and the TSs that would apply following restart. The NRC staff asked, and the licensee answered in the affirmative, whether a transitional QA plan would be submitted prior to significant work beginning at the facility. The NRC staff also inquired about the root cause evaluation (RCE) and equipment corrective actions related to the derecho event in the summer of 2020, and when the RCE would be completed. The licensee provided an overview of the event, discussed a few examples of planned equipment corrective actions to be included within their RCE that is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025, and stated that they are planning to conduct further discussion with NRC staff when the RCE is completed. The licensee also stated that they would seek to reinstate their licensing basis in place at the time DAEC was shut down in 2020 and that they would be submitting a subsequent license renewal application in parallel with the restart activities. Finally, they provided an overview of the timeline for submittals and applications, and their staffing and qualification objectives leading to DAEC being fully integrated into the NextEra fleet. In that timeline, the licensee is expecting to have the plant returning to an operational status in 2028.
Following the presentation, the NRC staff asked whether the licensee planned to conduct pre-submittal meetings for any environmental evaluations being submitted to the NRC. The licensee stated that they are planning on requesting an initial public pre-submittal meeting for this topic and for other topics in the coming months. The NRC staff encouraged the licensee to communicate early and often with the NRC and the public throughout the process. The NRC staff also stated that a DAEC Restart Panel charter with the primary objective to proactively identify and promptly resolve any licensing, inspection, or regulatory challenges regarding the DAEC restart, was nearing final approvals. The NRC staff also mentioned that they would be conducting the first of several public meetings at or near the DAEC site within the 6 months from approval of the DAEC Restart Panel charter. Lastly, the NRC staff inquired whether the licensee was planning on engaging the NRC staff as soon as appropriate regarding their subsequent license renewal application. The licensee responded that they were making plans for the submittal in the first calendar quarter of 2026 and that it would be preceded by a public pre-submittal meeting. The NRC staff closed the business portion of the meeting by highlighting that they ultimately plan to issue all safety and environmental evaluation documents as a bundle nearing the end of the restart process.
The NRC staff did not make any regulatory decisions at the meeting. Members of the public were in attendance via the webinar, and some had comments and questions for the NRC staff.
There were comments in favor of the licensee moving forward with the project for reasons such as providing local jobs, tax revenue, and a clean energy source. Others were against the licensee moving forward with the project for reasons such as nuclear not being clean, renewable, or cost effective; the restart being unprecedented, bad public policy when solar and wind are available, and not in the publics interest; potential issues with corrosion due to how the plant was laid up; and concerns about the maintenance of records via a QA program. The NRC staff responded to all comments by reiterating that the NRC will follow its mission of protecting public health and safety and the environment through thorough reviews of licensee submittals, and by performing detailed inspections throughout the restart process before allowing NextEra to resume operations at DAEC.
Public Meeting Feedback forms were received. Comments received included: 1) although the meeting moderator requested that attendees limit themselves to only one question, many attendees did not ask questions and made lengthy comments in support of the restart project.
This was not helpful, and the moderator did not hold all attendees to the same standards. Also, that NRC needs to consider the larger context of available alternatives that offer far less risk than nuclear power plants when making decisions, and 2) that the meeting was informative and well run, with an additional comment that it would be helpful to let attendees know that the microphones would be muted until called upon. Both comments were forwarded to NRCs communications specialists in the Office of the Executive Director for Operations.
Please direct any inquiries to Luke Haeg at (301) 415-0272, or Lucas.Haeg@nrc.gov.
/RA/
Luke Haeg, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 3 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-331
Enclosure:
List of Attendees Cc: Listserv
Enclosure LIST OF ATTENDEES MARCH 19, 2025, MEETING WITH OBSERVATION PUBLIC MEETING WITH NEXTERA ENERGY DUANE ARNOLD, LLC REGARDING REGULATORY PATH FOR POTENTIALLY REQUESTING REAUTHORIZATION OF POWER OPERATIONS AT DUANE ARNOLD ENERGY CENTER (EPID L-2025-LRM-0021)
NRC
Participants:
Jamie Pelton, Acting Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)/Division of Operating Reactor Licensing (DORL)
Phil McKenna, Director, NRR/Division of Reactor Oversight (DRO)
Billy Dickson, Deputy Director, Region III (R-III)/Division of Operating Reactor Safety (DORS)
Julie Ezell, Deputy Assistant General Counsel of Reactor Programs, Office of General Counsel John Moses, Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)/Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support (REFS)
Jessie Quintero, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of Commissioner Hanson Lisa Dimmick, Technical Assistant for Materials, Office of Commissioner Hanson April Nguyen, Team Leader, R-III/DORS David Hills, Branch Chief, R-III/Division of Radiological Safety and Security (DRSS)
Jessie Quichocho, Branch Chief, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR)/Division of Preparedness and Response (DPR)
Amanda Marshall, Branch Chief, DSIR/Division of Physical and Cybersecurity Policy (DPCP)
Steve Koenick, Branch Chief, NMSS/REFS Justin Poole, Senior Project Manager (PM), NRR/DORL Kim Conway, Senior Environmental PM, NMSS/REFS Aaron Armstrong, Senior Reactor Operations Engineer, NRR/DRO Laura Willingham, Senior Environmental PM, NMSS/REFS Ed Miller, Senior PM, NRR/DORL Sophie Holiday, Senior Emergency Response Coordinator, NSIR/DPR Michael Norris, Senior Emergency Preparedness Specialist, DSIR/DPR Viktoria Mitlyng, Senior Public Affairs Officer, R-III/Office of Public Affairs Brandon Hartle, Senior Emergency Preparedness Specialist, NSIR/DPR Maureen Conley, International Relations Officer, Office of International Programs Daniel King, Technical Assistant, NRR/DORL Julie Winslow, Senior Project Engineer, R-III/DORS Vaughn Thomas, Project Manager, NRR/Division of New and Renewed Licenses Carolyn Wolf, Congressional Affairs Officer, Office of Congressional Affairs Courtney St. Peters, Senior Project Engineer, R-III/DORS Luke Haeg, PM, NRR/DORL Marlayna Doell, PM, NRR/DORL Maurin Scheetz, Reactor Engineer, NRR/DRO Bryan Bergeron, Regional Government Liaison Officer, R-III/Office of the Regional Administrator Keith Miller, Emergency Preparedness Specialist, NSIR/DPR Marlena Tatkowski, Reactor Inspector, R-III/DORS Timothy Hooker, Health Physicist, R-III/DRSS Steve Sarver, Security Specialist, DSIR/DPCP Andrea Russell, Safety and Plant Systems Engineer, NRR/Division of Safety Systems Casey Emler, Reactor Systems Engineer, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research/Division of Systems Analysis Ankur Bhattacharya, PM, NRR/DORL Jared Nadel, Reactor Inspector, NRR/Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Eric Magnuson, Reactor Inspector, R-III/DORS Zach Turner, PM, NRR/DORL Alexandra Terres, General Engineer, Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO)/Associate Director Division of Human Resources Learning and Development (ADHRLD)
Liam ODonoghue, General Engineer, OCHCO/ADHRLD Nick Armstrong, Project Engineer, Region IV/DORS Grace Pennington, General Engineer, OCHCO/ADHRLD NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC and Florida Power & Light:
Michael Pearce Ken Mack Mike Davis Bill Orlove Julie Voeck Ashley Jansen Jeanne Catron Garrett Goldfinger Matthew Levander Maribel Valdez David Stroup Alan Eldridge Jack Coatar Michael Casey Steven Hamrick James Petro Haley Racanelli William Maher Alison Brown Britt Griffin Rajas Nimbarte Lindsay Thielking John Hampp Lonnie Helms Christina Filis Public:
Patrick Bosold, Iowa Sierra Club Kevin Kamps, Beyond Nuclear Glenn Rushworth Wally Taylor Albert Kluttz Steve Catron, Certrec Russell Day, Enercon Matthew Millard, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Roy Hanson Mike Thatcher, Corn Belt Power Cooperative Greg Peiffer Ron Corbett Joe Podles, Engineering and Planning Management, Inc Jana Bergman, Curtiss-Wright Randy Lane, Iowa Department of HHS Dennis Marks Nick Meyer, LS2group Kenneth Erwin, US Department of Energy (DOE)
Emily Bir, LS2group Mitch Abeln, LS2group 1563XXXXX45 Sam Honold, Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO)
Doug True, Nuclear Energy Institute Aaron Halstrom, Enercon Services Steven Dolley, S&P Global Benton County, Iowa Emergency Management Agency Patricia Furio, Enercon Services Mike Rubocki Deric Tilson Lisa Matis, Tetra Tech Mike Carberry Bryson Roberson Bradley Wylam, Linn County, Iowa Patty Riesberg, Iowa Department of HHS Dan Burns, CIPCO Tom Reardon BJ Dvorak, Linn County, Iowa Thomas Bean, Iowa Land and Liberty Coalition Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch Roy Lichao Du, US DOE Chris Kardos Carlyn Greene Sarah Rosa Mike Tertinger, Linn County, Iowa Amy Sinclair Jonathan Hammond Jacob Kincer, ClearPath City of Hiawatha, Iowa Nathan Palm, Electric Power Research Institute Mike Carberry Kevin Weinisch, KLD Associates Thomas Morgan, US Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Revecca Palmer Joy Jiang, The Breakthrough Institute 1240XXXXX16 Nick Boeyink, Iowa Conservative Energy Forum Stephanie Lientz 1319XXXXX43 Edith Williams, US DHS, FEMA Brittney Carroll, Office of US Representative Ashley Hinson Michael Keegan, Dont Waste Michigan Phil Covello 1319XXXXX95 Michael Wilt, US DHS/FEMA Dr. Deric Tilson, The Breakthrough Institute Julie Pladsen, Unity Point Health Dan Denis, Structural Integrity Associates, Inc.
Kim Reem, Office of Senator Ernst Cameron Hughes, Hogan Lovells Ken 1319XXXXX50 1732XXXXX28
ML25099A152 (Package)
ML25076A714 (Meeting Slides)
ML25064A594 (Meeting Notice)
ML25099A149 (Meeting Summary)
OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL3/PM NRR/DORL/LPL3/LA NRR/DORL/LPL3/BC NRR/DORL/LPL3/PM NAME LHaeg SRohrer IBerrios LHaeg DATE 04/15/2025 04/15/2025 04/15/2025 4/22/2025