The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted a 20-year subsequent licence renewal (SLR) for the Edwin I Hatch Nuclear Plant in Georgia. Hatch is co-owned by Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and Dalton Utilities and operated by Southern Nuclear. It comprises two 900 MWe boiling water reactors (BWRs). Unit 1 began commercial operation in December 1975, and unit 2 in September 1979.
This is only the second time NRC has processed and finalised a nuclear plant’s licence renewal in less than 12 months. The renewal extends the operational lifespan of the facility from 60 to 80 years. The licence for unit 1 is extended to August 2054 and for unit 2 to June 2058.
This rapid approval follows just over a month after Duke Energy’s HB Robinson Steam Electric Plant in South Carolina became the first reactor unit to achieve a review in less than a year. The accelerated review process is in line with President Trump’s May 2025 Executive Order 14300, Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which challenges the NRC to deliver streamlined, efficient regulatory decisions without compromising rigorous safety or environmental standards.
By applying lessons from past evaluations and leveraging continuous agency improvements, NRC expects to use this fast-tracked framework on upcoming applications, including New York’s Nine Mile Point and Nebraska’s Cooper power plant.
“The NRC continues to demonstrate we can reach timely decisions while maintaining our strict safety oversight,” said Anna Bradford, Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. “The staff’s ability to focus on key factors necessary for long-term plant performance and to implement continuous learning enabled us to efficiently secure another 1.8 GW of power on the grid for 20 more years.”
