The current licences for Comanche Peak-1 and -2 expire in 2030 and 2033.
If granted, the licence extension would allow the 1,205-MW Comanche Peak-1 to operate until 2050 and the 1,195-MW Comanche Peak-2 to 2053.
The plants, owned and operated by Vistra subsidiary Luminant Generation, are both pressurised water reactor units. They began commercial operation in 1990 and 1993.
Vistra said Comanche Peak is one of the lowest-cost and highest-performing nuclear power stations in the country and is a large, dispatchable source of carbon-free electricity. “Renewing the licences is critical for grid reliability and our environment and is a benefit to the economy, the local community, and our company,” chief executive officer and president Jim Burke said.
According to Vistra the station generates enough electricity to power about 1.2 million Texas homes in normal conditions and 480,000 homes in periods of peak demand. Since it began operating in 1990, Comanche Peak has generated more than 582 million MWh of “reliable, emission-free electricity”.
