The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Thursday that it signed off on a 20-year license extension for the Monticello nuclear plant, allowing the Minnesota facility to continue operating until 2050.
Xcel Energy sees the single unit, 671-megawatt plant as key to its plans to eliminate power sector carbon emissions by 2040, as required by state law. The license extension is the second for the Monticello plant, which opened in 1971.
Xcel, Minnesota’s largest electric utility, isn’t alone in its efforts to keep nuclear on the grid. Utilities around the country are showing renewed interest in keeping reactors operating as they seek firm sources of clean power.
Nuclear power is available on demand, making it especially valuable as coal-fired power plants retire faster than they can be replaced by renewable energy. Xcel plans to retire its two remaining coal units in Minnesota by 2030.
