The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff approved Exelon Generation Co.’s application for an additional 20 years of operation for Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station Units 2 and 3 in Pennsylvania.

The renewed licenses authorize reactor operation from 60 to 80 years.

The Peach Bottom Unit 2 renewed license expires on Aug. 8, 2053. The Unit 3 license expires on July 2, 2054.

Peach Bottom Units 2 and 3. Source: ExelonElectric utility Exelon submitted the Peach Bottom license renewal application in July 2018.

Both Units 2 and 3 use General Electric boiling water reactors and entered service in 1974. They were originally rated at about 1,180 megawatts of electricity (MWe) each, and were uprated to 1,382 MWe each in 2018.

Peach Bottom Unit 1 was an experimental helium-cooled, graphite-moderated reactor. It operated from 1966 to 1974.

In December, the NRC staff approved Florida Power & Light’s application for an additional 20 years of operation for Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Units 3 and 4. The approvals marked the first time the NRC had issued renewed licenses authorizing reactor operation from 60 to 80 years.

Turkey Point Unit 3’s renewed license expires on July 19, 2052. Unit 4’s license expires on April 10, 2053.