NRC Approves Power Uprate For Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station

No: 14-054                                                                           August 25, 2014
CONTACT: Scott Burnell, 301-415-8200

NRC Approves Power Uprate For Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a request by Exelon Generation Co. to increase the generating capacity of Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3, by 12.4 percent each.

The NRC staff determined Exelon could safely increase the reactors’ output primarily by upgrading certain plant systems and components. NRC staff also reviewed Exelon’s evaluations showing the plant’s design can handle the increased power level.

The NRC’s safety evaluation of the plant’s proposed power uprate focused on several areas, such as the nuclear steam supply systems, instrumentation and control systems, electrical systems, accident evaluations, radiological consequences, operations and training, testing, and technical specification changes. For added confidence in the analysis, the NRC staff also conducted independent confirmatory calculations and audits of selected areas.

The power uprate authorizes Peach Bottom, located approximately 18 miles south of Lancaster, Pa., to increase each boiling water reactor’s generating capacity by approximately 140 megawatts electric. Exelon plans to implement Unit 2’s uprate during the fall 2014 refueling outage and Unit 3’s uprate during the fall 2015 refueling outage.

The NRC published a notice about the power uprate application in the Federal Register on April 9, 2013. The agency’s evaluation of the Peach Bottom uprate will be available through the NRC’s ADAMS electronic document database by entering Accession Number ML14133A046.

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