[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 17 (Tuesday, January 27, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3550-3553]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-01470]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 52-009; NRC-2025-1864]
System Energy Resources Inc.; Grand Gulf Early Site Permit; Early
Site Permit Renewal Application
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: License renewal application; exemption request; acceptance for
docketing; opportunity to request a hearing and to petition for leave
to intervene.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an
application for the renewal of the Grand Gulf Site Early Site Permit
(ESP) No. ESP-002. The renewed permit would allow a construction permit
or combined license application to reference the permit for an
additional 20 years specified in the current permit. The current permit
for the Grand Gulf Site expires on April 5, 2027.
DATES: A request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene must
be filed by March 30, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2025-1864 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly available information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2025-1864. Address
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Bridget Curran;
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telephone: 301-415-1003; email: [email protected]. For technical
questions, contact the individual listed in the For Further Information
Contact section of this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin ADAMS Public Search.''
For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room
(PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, at 301-415-4737, or by email
to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number for each document
referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time
that it is mentioned in this document.
NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an
appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to
[email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8
a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Lauron, telephone: 301-415-
2736; email: [email protected] or Michelle Hayes, telephone: 301-
415-8375; email: [email protected]. Both are staff of the Office
of Nuclear Reactor Regulation at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC has received an application from Entergy Operations, Inc.,
on behalf of Systems Energy Resources, Inc. (SERI), a subsidiary of
Entergy Corporation, dated September 24, 2025, (ADAMS Accession No.
ML25267A217), filed pursuant to section 103 of the Atomic Energy Act of
1954, as amended (the Act), and part 52 of title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (10 CFR), to renew ESP-002 for an additional period
of 20 years.
If the NRC renews ESP-002, NRC regulations would allow an
application for a construction permit under 10 CFR part 50, ``Domestic
Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities,'' or an application
for a combined license under 10 CFR part 52, ``Early Site Permits,
Standard Design Certifications, Combined Licenses for Nuclear Power
Plants,'' to reference the early site permit for an additional 20 years
beyond the period specified in the current permit and subject to the
terms and conditions in the renewed permit. The current permit for the
Grand Gulf Site expires on April 5, 2027. A notice of receipt of the
ESP renewal application was published in the Federal Register on
December 29, 2025, (90 FR 60763).
If an application for a Construction Permit or Combined Operating
License references an early site permit, the Commission shall treat as
resolved those matters resolved in the proceeding on the application
for renewal of the early site permit, except as provided for in
paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of 10 CFR 52.39. Among other provisions
providing for early resolution of certain matters by an early site
permit, pursuant to 10 CFR 52.79(b), if an application for a combined
license (COL) references an early site permit, the final safety
analysis report need not contain information or analyses submitted to
the Commission in connection with the early site permit, provided that
the COL application provides sufficient to demonstrate that the design
of the facility falls within the site characteristics and design
parameters specified in the early site permit.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 52.29(a), an application for renewal must
contain all information necessary to bring up to date the information
and data contained in the previous application. The SERI application
proposes to pilot the proposed alternative ESP renewal pathway detailed
in Appendix A to NEI 25-06, which is currently under NRC staff
consideration. The NRC staff has not completed its evaluation of this
guidance. NEI proposed an alternative renewal pathway to provide the
holder of an ESP with the option to make a business decision to defer
bringing up to date the general, site safety, environmental, and other
required information and data contained in its previous ESP application
until a later time. The SERI application, as a pilot to this proposed
guidance, does not bring up to date any information about the general,
site safety, environmental, and other required information and data
contained in its previous ESP application. To that end, the SERI
application requests an exemption from the content of renewal
application requirements in 10 CFR 52.29(a).
The NRC staff has reviewed the SERI application for acceptability
for docketing. The application relies, in part, on the acceptability of
an associated exemption request from the requirements for the content
of renewal applications in 10 CFR 52.29(a), which require that an ESP
renewal application contain all information necessary to bring up to
date the information and data contained in the previous ESP. The NRC
staff has determined that the exemption request appears to contain
sufficient information to enable the staff to begin its detailed
review. Based on the NRC staff's determination that SERI's exemption
request contains sufficient information for the NRC staff to begin its
detailed review, the staff has determined that the application is
acceptable for docketing as a request to renew the Grand Gulf Site ESP,
provided that the renewed ESP would not provide finality under 10 CFR
52.39 for the general, site safety, environmental and other matters
that would typically be resolved in a proceeding on the application for
issuance or renewal of an ESP. Specifically, should SERI wish to
reference the renewed Grand Gulf ESP in a future license application,
SERI could submit all information necessary to update its ESP renewal
to the NRC staff for its review in one of three ways: (1) in a request
to amend the ESP to update the information; (2) in an application for a
construction permit that references the ESP; or (3) in a combined
license application that references the ESP. In each case, the adequacy
of the updated information, which is not updated in this renewal
application and is not requested to be resolved by this renewal
proceeding, could be a subject of a hearing on the application.
Therefore, the application to renew the Grand Gulf ESP is acceptable
for docketing. The current Docket No. 52-009 for Grand Gulf Site ESP
No. ESP-002 will be retained. The determination to accept the renewal
application for docketing does not constitute a determination that a
renewed permit should be issued and does not preclude the NRC staff
from requesting additional information as the review proceeds. In
addition, the determination to accept the renewal application for
docketing as a pilot of the alternative ESP renewal pathway detailed in
Appendix A to NEI 25-06 does not constitute an endorsement of NEI 25-
06.
The NRC may grant the request to renew the permit only if the NRC
makes the findings required by the Act and the Commission's rules and
regulations. In accordance with 10 CFR 52.31, the NRC shall grant the
renewal only if it determines that: (1) the site complies with the Act,
the Commission's regulations, and orders applicable and in effect at
the time the site permit was originally issued, and (2) any new
requirements the Commission may wish to impose that are necessary for
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adequate protection to public health and safety or common defense and
security, necessary for compliance with the Commission's regulations,
and orders applicable and in effect at the time the site permit was
originally issued, or result in a substantial increase in overall
protection of the public health and safety or the common defense and
security, and the direct and indirect costs of implementation of those
requirements are justified in view of this increased protection.
The NRC staff will also complete an environmental review of the
application and will document its findings in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the
Commission's regulations in 10 CFR part 51, ``Environmental Protection
Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions.''
SERI did not include an environmental report in the renewal
application. The NRC staff is still determining the type of
environmental review that is required.
II. Opportunity To Request a Hearing and Petition for Leave To
Intervene
Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, any
person (petitioner) whose interest may be affected by this action may
file a request for a hearing and petition for leave to intervene
(petition) with respect to the action. Petitions shall be filed in
accordance with the Commission's ``Agency Rules of Practice and
Procedure'' in 10 CFR part 2. Interested persons should consult a
current copy of 10 CFR 2.309. If a petition is filed, the presiding
officer will rule on the petition and, if appropriate, a notice of a
hearing will be issued.
Petitions must be filed no later than 60 days from the date of
publication of this notice in accordance with the filing instructions
in the ``Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)'' section of this document.
Petitions and motions for leave to file new or amended contentions that
are filed after the deadline will not be entertained absent a
determination by the presiding officer that the filing demonstrates
good cause by satisfying the three factors in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)
through (iii).
A State, local governmental body, Federally recognized Indian
Tribe, or designated agency thereof, may submit a petition to the
Commission to participate as a party under 10 CFR 2.309(h) no later
than 60 days from the date of publication of this notice.
Alternatively, a State, local governmental body, Federally recognized
Indian Tribe, or designated agency thereof may participate as a non-
party under 10 CFR 2.315(c).
For information about filing a petition and about participation by
a person not a party under 10 CFR 2.315, see ADAMS Accession No.
ML20340A053 (https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2034/ML20340A053.pdf) and the
NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing.html#participate.
III. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)
All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings including
documents filed by an interested State, local governmental body,
Federally recognized Indian Tribe, or designated agency thereof that
request to participate under 10 CFR 2.315(c), must be filed in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302. The E-Filing process requires
participants to submit and serve all adjudicatory documents over the
internet, or in some cases, to mail copies on electronic storage media,
unless an exemption permitting an alternative filing method, as further
discussed, is granted. Detailed guidance on electronic submissions is
located in the ``Guidance for Electronic Submissions to the NRC''
(ADAMS Accession No. ML13031A056) and on the NRC's public website at
https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html.
To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 10
days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the
Office of the Secretary by email at [email protected], or by
telephone at 301-415-1677, to (1) request a digital identification (ID)
certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or
representative) to digitally sign submissions and access the E-Filing
system for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise
the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a petition or
other adjudicatory document (even in instances in which the
participant, or its counsel or representative, already holds an NRC-
issued digital ID certificate). Based upon this information, the
Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the proceeding if the
Secretary has not already established an electronic docket.
Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is
available on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/getting-started.html. After a digital ID certificate is
obtained and a docket is created, the participant must submit
adjudicatory documents in Portable Document Format. Guidance on
submissions is available on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html. A filing is
considered complete at the time the document is submitted through the
NRC's E-Filing system. To be timely, an electronic filing must be
submitted to the E-Filing system no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the due
date. Upon receipt of a transmission, the E-Filing system time-stamps
the document and sends the submitter an email confirming receipt of the
document. The E-Filing system also distributes an email that provides
access to the document to the NRC's Office of the General Counsel and
any others who have advised the Office of the Secretary that they wish
to participate in the proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the
document on those participants separately. Therefore, applicants and
other participants (or their counsel or representative) must apply for
and receive a digital ID certificate before adjudicatory documents are
filed to obtain access to the documents via the E-Filing system.
A person filing electronically using the NRC's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC's Electronic
Filing Help Desk through the ``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC's
public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html, by
email to [email protected], or by a toll-free call at 1-866-672-
7640. The NRC Electronic Filing Help Desk is available between 9 a.m.
and 6 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Participants who believe that they have good cause for not
submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing
stating why there is good cause for not filing electronically and
requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper
format. Such filings must be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR
2.302(b)-(d). Participants filing adjudicatory documents in this manner
are responsible for serving their documents on all other participants.
Participants granted an exemption under 10 CFR 2.302(g)(2) must still
meet the electronic formatting requirement in 10 CFR 2.302(g)(1),
unless the participant also seeks and is granted an exemption from 10
CFR 2.302(g)(1).
Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in the
NRC's electronic hearing docket, which is publicly available at https://adams.nrc.gov/ehd, unless excluded pursuant to an order of the
presiding officer. If you do not have an NRC-issued digital ID
certificate as previously described, click ``cancel'' when the link
requests certificates and
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you will be automatically directed to the NRC's electronic hearing
dockets where you will be able to access any publicly available
documents in a particular hearing docket. Participants are requested
not to include personal privacy information such as social security
numbers, home addresses, or personal phone numbers in their filings
unless an NRC regulation or other law requires submission of such
information. With respect to copyrighted works, except for limited
excerpts that serve the purpose of the adjudicatory filings and would
constitute a Fair Use application, participants should not include
copyrighted materials in their submission.
Copies of the application to renew ESP-002 are available for public
inspection at the NRC's PDR and https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2526/ML25267A217.pdf.
Dated: January 22, 2026.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Michele Sampson,
Director, Division of New and Renewed Licenses, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2026-01470 Filed 1-26-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P