[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 189 (Friday, September 28, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49711-49712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24341]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499]


STP Nuclear Operating Company, South Texas Project, Units 1 and 
2; Notice of Consideration of Approval of Application of Reliant Energy 
Incorporated (Formerly Known as Houston Lighting & Power Company 
Regarding Transfer of Facility Operating Licenses and Conforming 
Amendments, and Opportunity for a Hearing

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering 
the issuance of an order under 10 CFR 50.80, approving the indirect 
transfer of control of the 30.8 percent undivided ownership interest of 
Reliant Energy, Incorporated (Reliant) \1\ in the South Texas Project 
Electric Generating Station (STPEGS), Units 1 and 2 under Facility 
Operating License Nos. NPF-76 and NPF-80, to an as yet unnamed new 
parent holding company (referred to in the application as Regco); and, 
to the extent an indirect transfer would result, Reliant's 30.8 percent 
interest in STP Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC), the licensed 
operator of STPEGS under the licenses, to Regco. Reliant is one of four 
joint owners of STPEGS under the licenses.
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    \1\ Reliant was known as Houston Lighting & Power Company 
(HL&P). HL&P changed its name to Reliant Energy Incorporated in 
1999.
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    The Commission is also considering approving the direct transfer of 
Reliant's 30.8 percent ownership interest in STPEGS to an as yet 
unnamed new Texas partnership (referred to in the application as Texas 
Genco LP), which will be indirectly wholly owned by Regco, and, to the 
extent that a direct transfer of Reliant's interest will result, 
Reliant's 30.8 percent interest in STPNOC to Texas Genco LP. The 
Commission is further considering amending the licenses for 
administrative purposes to reflect the proposed direct transfer of 
Reliant's interest in STPEGS, including reflecting the company now 
referred to as Texas Genco LP as the licensee. According to an 
application for approval filed by STPNOC, acting on behalf of Reliant, 
NRC will be provided with the actual name of the new company before the 
Commission can issue conforming administrative amendments. The 
applicant states that the transfer of Reliant's ownership interests to 
Texas Genco LP would occur either contemporaneously with Regco becoming 
the parent holding company of Reliant or some time thereafter.
    According to the application, following the proposed transfers, 
Texas Genco LP would possess a 30.8 percent undivided ownership 
interest in STPEGS under essentially the same conditions and 
authorizations as included in the existing NRC licenses for STPEGS, 
including the antitrust conditions, which would be retained. No 
physical or operational changes to STPEGS are being proposed, and 
STPNOC would at all times remain the licensed operator of the facility.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.80, no license shall be transferred, directly 
or indirectly, through transfer of control of the license, unless the 
Commission gives its consent in writing. The Commission will approve an 
application for the direct transfer of a license, if the Commission 
determines that the proposed transferee is qualified to be the holder 
of the license; and an application for indirect transfer, if the 
Commission determines that the proposed transfer of control will not 
affect the qualifications of the licensee. With respect to both direct 
and indirect transfers, the Commission must also determine that the 
transfer is otherwise consistent with applicable provisions of law, 
regulations, and orders issued by the Commission pursuant thereto.
    Before issuance of the proposed conforming license amendments, the 
Commission will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 
1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations.
    As provided in 10 CFR 2.1315, unless otherwise determined by the 
Commission with regard to a specific application, the Commission has 
determined that any amendment to the license of a utilization facility 
which does no more than conform the license to reflect the transfer 
action involves no significant hazards consideration. No contrary 
determination has been made with respect to this specific license 
amendment application. In light of the generic determination reflected 
in 10 CFR 2.1315, no public comments with respect to significant 
hazards considerations are being solicited, notwithstanding the general 
comment procedures contained in 10 CFR 50.91.
    The filing of requests for hearing and petitions for leave to 
intervene, and written comments with regard to the license transfer 
application, are discussed below.
    By October 18, 2001, any person whose interest may be affected by 
the Commission's action on the application may request a hearing and, 
if not the applicant, may petition for leave to intervene in a hearing 
proceeding on the Commission's action. Requests for a hearing and 
petitions for leave to intervene should be filed in accordance with the 
Commission's rules of practice set forth in Subpart M, ``Public 
Notification, Availability of Documents and Records, Hearing Requests 
and Procedures for Hearings on License Transfer Applications,'' of 10 
CFR part 2. In particular, such requests and petitions must comply with 
the requirements set forth in 10 CFR 2.1306, and should address the 
considerations contained in 10 CFR 2.1308(a). Untimely requests and 
petitions may be denied, as provided in 10 CFR 2.1308(b), unless good 
cause for failure to file on time is established. In addition, an 
untimely request or petition should address the factors that the 
Commission will also consider, in reviewing untimely requests or

[[Page 49712]]

petitions, set forth in 10 CFR 2.1308(b)(1)-(2).
    Requests for a hearing and petitions for leave to intervene should 
be served upon John E. Mathews, Morgan, Lewis and Bakius, LLP; 1800 M 
Street, NW, Washington DC 20036-5869 (telephone: 202-467-7524; fax: 
202-467-7176; email: [email protected]); the General Counsel, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555 (e-mail 
address for filings regarding license transfer cases only: 
[email protected]); and the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: 
Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, in accordance with 10 CFR 2.1313.
    The Commission will issue a notice or order granting or denying a 
hearing request or intervention petition, designating the issues for 
any hearing that will be held and designating the Presiding Officer. A 
notice granting a hearing will be published in the Federal Register and 
served on the parties to the hearing.
    As an alternative to requests for hearing and petitions to 
intervene, by October 29, 2001, persons may submit written comments 
regarding the license transfer application, as provided for in 10 CFR 
2.1305. The Commission will consider and, if appropriate, respond to 
these comments, but such comments will not otherwise constitute part of 
the decisional record. Comments should be submitted to the Secretary, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, 
Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, and should cite the 
publication date and page number of this Federal Register notice.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the 
application dated May 31, 2001, available for public inspection at the 
Commission's Public Document Room, located at One White Flint North, 
11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly 
available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide 
Documents Access and Management Systems (ADAMS) Public Electronic 
Reading Room on the internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/ADAMS/index.html. If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are 
problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC 
Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-
4737 or by email to [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 21st day of September, 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Mohan C. Thadani,
Senior Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate IV, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-24341 Filed 9-27-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P