Entergy Nuclear 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.”
Cooper is an 810-megawatt boiling water reactor near Brownville, Nebraska.
