Cooper Nuclear Station agreement extended for an additional 15 years
Jackson, Miss. – Entergy Nuclear, the
nation’s second largest nuclear power operator, has signed an agreement with
Nebraska Public Power District to extend management support services to Cooper
Nuclear Station until January 2029. The original contract between the companies,
signed in 2003, was for the remaining years of the plant’s original operating
license, currently due to expire in 2014 and presently under review by the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a 20-year license extension.
“The decision to extend the Support
Services Agreement was based on the significant improvements in regulatory and
operational performance realized at Cooper since the beginning of the agreement
in 2003,” said Ron Asche, NPPD chief executive officer. “I believe that NPPD and
Entergy have established an effective partnership that bodes well for the future
of Cooper.”
John Herron, Entergy chief nuclear
officer, said, “NPPD’s partnering with Entergy has mutual benefits. It gives
single-plant owners like NPPD the advantages of owning a nuclear asset while
also obtaining the benefits and economies of scale that come with being
affiliated with a large nuclear operating fleet. Our nuclear expertise is then
enhanced by having additional opportunity to evaluate industry best practices
from all the plants including Cooper.” He added, “We believe that this support
services agreement is a model for the industry, where we at Entergy can apply
our fleet leverage to add value and assist non-fleet operators.”
Asche agreed. “The Support Services
Agreement has provided the resources that NPPD was looking for to secure its
objective of remaining in the nuclear generation business, which is a proud part
of our heritage. It remains important to our Board that NPPD retain the
responsibility and accountability for the CNS operating license while enhancing
job security for the hundreds of NPPD employees who help manage and operate the
plant daily. With greenhouse gas concerns, having CNS as an important part of
our diverse generation mix is now more critical than ever. I believe that the
fleet affiliation with Entergy also reduces our overall business risk as a
single-unit owner and operator.”
Cooper is an 810-megawatt boiling
water reactor near Brownville, Neb. Entergy Vice President Stewart Minahan
serves as NPPD’s chief nuclear officer and Cooper senior vice president,
reporting to Asche.
Entergy Corporation is an integrated
energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail
distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with
approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the
second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers
electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi
and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $13 billion and
approximately 14,700 employees.
Always there when you need us, NPPD’s
mission is to safely generate and deliver low-cost reliable energy and provide
outstanding customer service. Working in partnership with the state’s rural
public power districts, cooperatives and municipalities, NPPD helps serve an
estimated 1 million Nebraskans with retail or wholesale electric power and
energy-related products and services.
-30-
entergy-nuclear.com.
Nebraska Public Power District’s online address is
www.nppd.com
