Fermi 2 to operate until 2045

NRC approves 20-year extension to operating license

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Dec 16, 2016, 12:49 ET

NEWPORT, Mich., Dec. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy's Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant received its renewed license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission today, which permits the power plant to continue generating electricity until 2045.

"This is excellent news for Monroe County and Michigan," said Paul Fessler, senior vice president and Chief Nuclear Officer at Fermi 2. "Continued operation of Fermi 2 ensures a consistent supply of clean, safe energy for our customers. Fermi 2 is an important part of DTE's balanced approach to providing energy to the community."

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the license renewal request after more than two years of extensive review of Fermi 2, DTE's only nuclear power plant. The original operating license for Fermi 2 would have expired March 20, 2025.

DTE Energy filed for the license renewal in April 2014.

Prior to the filing, DTE spent two years developing exhaustive technical and environmental studies.

In the time since the application was filed, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has conducted in-depth evaluations of the submittal to ensure Fermi 2 will have the programs in place to operate safely until 2045.

Those reviews included audits of programs, plant inspections and public meetings to hear from neighbors of the plant.

"Fermi 2 does, and always will, keep safety as its top priority," Fessler said. "This was a multi-year process all for one reason: we and the NRC wanted to make sure Fermi 2 can continue to operate safely well into the future.

"We've shown that we can operate well into the future and we look forward to future decades of providing safe, reliable electricity to our customers and our community in Southeast Michigan," he said.

Fermi 2 earned its original operating license in 1985. The plant has produced more than 200 million megawatt-hours of energy during nearly 29 years of operation. Fermi 2 employs about 800 full-time workers and generates 1,170 megawatts.

"License renewal is a very cost-effective way to meet the continuing needs of residents and businesses in the region," Fessler said. "We're very proud to be a part of this community and honored that we'll be here for many more years to come."

DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric utility serving 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. Information about DTE Energy is available at dteenergy.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy.

SOURCE DTE Energy