Press Release-10-145, NRC Approves Power Uprate for Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-10-145: NRC Approves Power Uprate for Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant

ML102320214
Person / Time
Site:	Prairie Island
Issue date:	08/20/2010
From:	Office of Public Affairs
To:
References
Press Release-10-145
Download: ML102320214 (1)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: http://www.nrc.gov No.10-145 August 20, 2010 NRC APPROVES POWER UPRATE FOR PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a request by Northern States Power Company to increase the generating capacity of Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Units 1 and 2 by 1.64 percent.

The NRC staff determined that Northern States Power could safely increase the reactors output primarily through more accurate means of measuring feedwater flow. NRC staff also reviewed the companys evaluations showing the plants design can handle the increased power level.

The NRC safety evaluation of the plants proposed power uprate focused on several areas, including the nuclear steam supply systems, instrumentation and control systems, electrical systems, accident evaluations, radiological consequences, fire protection, operations and training, testing, and technical specification changes.

The power uprate for Prairie Island, located approximately 28 miles southeast of Minneapolis, Minn., will increase Unit 1s generating capacity from approximately 551 to 560 megawatts electric and Unit 2s generating capacity from approximately 545 to 554 megawatts electric. Northern States Power intends to implement the uprate in February 2011.

The NRC previously published a notice about the power uprate application in the Federal Register (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-10820.pdf) providing the public an opportunity to comment or request a hearing. The agencys evaluation of the Prairie Island power uprate will be available through the NRCs ADAMS electronic document database by entering ML102030573 on this Web page: http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm.

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