The owner of the the Ginna power plant has filed an application with federal nuclear energy regulators to renew its license through 2049.
The plant in Ontario, Wayne County, is capable of generating 576 megawatts of electricity. That's enough to power 400,000 homes. Its current license was approved in 2004, and expires in 2029.
Constellation, Ginna's parent company, is also asking the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to renew the license for Nine Mile Point Unit 1 in Oswego. Officials with the company said in a news release that the decision to extend the life of the plants was fueled in part by the renewal of New York's Zero Emissions Credit program.
The credits, essentially a subsidy program for the state's nuclear plants, were created as part of the state's 2016 Clean Energy Standard. That standard requires investor-owned utilities like Rochester Gas & Electric and New York State Electric and Gas to buy the credits.
The state Public Service Commission in January extended the credits program through 2049. The commission noted that the four nuclear reactors in New York — all owned by Constellation — provide 21% of the state's power and 40% of the state's zero emissions power.
