The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has renewed the operating licences for both reactors at the St Lucie NPP in Southeast Florida, for another 20 years and extending its operations into the 2050s and 2060s. The plant’s two pressurised water reactors are now licensed to operate to 1 March 2056, and 6 April 2063. This is the second license renewal for St Lucie, allowing the units to operate for up to 80 years.
An extended power uprate was completed at both units in 2012 which raised the power output of each reactor from 853 MWe to 1002 MWe. The application for the subsequent 20-year licence renewal was filed in 2021.
The NRC’s review of Florida Power & Light’s (FPL’s) application included detailed safety and environmental evaluations, which concluded that the plant could operate safely during the extended period. The agency completed a safety evaluation in September 2023 and an environmental review in March 2026, which supplemented the 2024 Environmental Impact Statement.
“This approval ensures that St Lucie will continue to provide safe, reliable, low-cost energy for generations to come,” said FPL President Scott Bores. “We are pleased that nuclear power will remain an integral part of Florida’s energy future and a vital contributor to the local and state economies.”
