[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 26 (Monday, February 9, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5787-5790]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02521]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 52-055; NRC-2025-2161]
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Belews Creek; Belews Creek Early Site
Permit Application
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Acceptance of docketing, opportunity to request a hearing and
petition for leave to intervene; order imposing procedures.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has
accepted and docketed an application for an early site permit (ESP)
submitted by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, dated December 30, 2025. In
addition, the NRC is providing notice that an uncontested hearing will
be held on the ESP application at a time and place to be set in the
future by the presiding officer for the uncontested hearing. This
notice also provides the public an opportunity to request a hearing and
petition for leave to intervene (i.e., contested hearing) with respect
to that application. If the NRC issues an ESP, the applicant, Duke
Energy Carolinas, LLC, would be approved for one or more proposed sites
for a nuclear power facility, independent of a specific nuclear plant
design or an application for a construction permit or combined license.
Because the application contains Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards
Information (SUNSI), this notice includes an order that imposes
procedures to obtain access to SUNSI for contention preparation.
DATES: A request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene must
be filed by April 10, 2026. Any potential party as defined in section
2.4 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) who
believes access to SUNSI is necessary to respond to this notice must
request document access by February 19, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2025-2161 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-2025-2161. Address
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Bridget Curran;
telephone: 301-415-1003; email: [email protected]. For technical
questions, contact the individual(s) 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 Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application
is available in ADAMS under Package Accession No. ML25364A004.
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.
NRC's Public Website: The ESP application is available
under the NRC's Duke Energy Belews Creek Early Site Permit Application
public website https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/advanced/who-were-working-with/applicant-projects/dukeenergy.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emmanuel Sayoc, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-4084; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Discussion
On December 30, 2025, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, filed with the
NRC pursuant to Section 103 of the Atomic Energy Act and 10 CFR part
52, ``Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power
Plants,'' an application for an ESP for the Belews Creek site located
in Stokes County, North Carolina.
A notice of receipt and availability of this application was
previously published in the Federal Register on January 7, 2026 (91 FR
542) and February 4, 2026. Identical notices of receipt and
availability are planned to be published for an additional three
consecutive weeks thereafter.
The NRC staff has determined that the Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC
ESP application is acceptable for docketing in accordance with 10 CFR
2.101(a) and 10 CFR part 52 and assigned the docket number ``52-055''
for this application. The application was docketed on February 9, 2025.
The NRC staff provided Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, notice of the
acceptance and docketing determination by letter dated February 9, 2026
(ADAMS Accession No. ML26016A624).
The NRC staff will perform a detailed technical review of the
application and document its findings in a safety evaluation. Docketing
of the application does not preclude the NRC from requesting additional
information from the applicant as the review proceeds, nor does it
predict whether the Commission will grant or deny the application. The
Commission will conduct a hearing in accordance with Subpart L,
``Informal Hearing Procedures for NRC Adjudications,'' of 10 CFR part 2
and will receive a report on the ESP application from the Advisory
Committee on Reactors Safeguards in accordance with 10 CFR
[[Page 5788]]
52.23, ``Referral to the Advisory Committee on Reactors Safeguards
(ACRS).'' If the Commission finds that the ESP application meets the
applicable standards of the Atomic Energy Act and the Commission's
regulations, and that required notifications to other agencies and
bodies have been made, the Commission will issue an ESP, in the form
and containing conditions and limitations that the Commission finds
appropriate and necessary.
II. Hearing
Pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 10 CFR part
2, ``Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure,'' and 10 CFR part 50,
notice is hereby given that an uncontested (i.e., mandatory) hearing
will be held, at a time and place to be set in the future by the
presiding officer for the uncontested hearing.
III. 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 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 60-day 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://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20340A 053) and the NRC's public website
(https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing.html#participate).
IV. 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
requests 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
(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 (https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/getting-started.html). After a digital ID certificate is
obtained and a docket created, the participant must submit adjudicatory
documents in Portable Document Format. Guidance on submissions is
available on the NRC's public website (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 (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 on the
NRC's public website (https://adams.nrc.gov/ehd), unless otherwise
excluded pursuant to an order of the presiding officer. If you do not
have an NRC-issued digital ID certificate as described above, click
``cancel'' when the link requests certificates and you will be
automatically directed to the NRC's electronic hearing dockets where
you
[[Page 5789]]
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.
Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-
Safeguards Information for Contention Preparation
A. This Order contains instructions regarding how potential parties
to this proceeding may request access to documents containing Sensitive
Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI).
B. Within 10 days after publication of this notice of hearing or
opportunity for hearing, any potential party who believes access to
SUNSI is necessary to respond to this notice may request access to
SUNSI. A ``potential party'' is any person who intends to participate
as a party by demonstrating standing and filing an admissible
contention under 10 CFR 2.309. Requests for access to SUNSI submitted
later than 10 days after publication of this notice will not be
considered absent a showing of good cause for the late filing,
addressing why the request could not have been filed earlier.
C. The requestor shall submit a letter requesting permission to
access SUNSI to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff, and provide a copy to the Deputy General Counsel
for Licensing, Hearings, and Enforcement, Office of the General
Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
The expedited delivery or courier mail address for both offices is:
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland 20852. The email addresses for the Office of the Secretary and
the Office of the General Counsel are [email protected] and
[email protected], respectively.\1\ The request must
include the following information:
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\1\ While a request for hearing or petition to intervene in this
proceeding must comply with the filing requirements of the NRC's
``E-Filing Rule,'' the initial request to access SUNSI under these
procedures should be submitted as described in this paragraph.
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(1) A description of the licensing action with a citation to this
Federal Register notice;
(2) The name and address of the potential party and a description
of the potential party's particularized interest that could be harmed
by the action identified in C.(1); and
(3) The identity of the individual or entity requesting access to
SUNSI and the requestor's basis for the need for the information in
order to meaningfully participate in this adjudicatory proceeding. In
particular, the request must explain why publicly available versions of
the information requested would not be sufficient to provide the basis
and specificity for a proffered contention.
D. Based on an evaluation of the information submitted under
paragraph C, the NRC staff will determine within 10 days of receipt of
the request whether:
(1) There is a reasonable basis to believe the petitioner is likely
to establish standing to participate in this NRC proceeding; and
(2) The requestor has established a legitimate need for access to
SUNSI.
E. If the NRC staff determines that the requestor satisfies both
D.(1) and D.(2), the NRC staff will notify the requestor in writing
that access to SUNSI has been granted. The written notification will
contain instructions on how the requestor may obtain copies of the
requested documents, and any other conditions that may apply to access
to those documents. These conditions may include, but are not limited
to, the signing of a Non-Disclosure Agreement or Affidavit, or
Protective Order \2\ setting forth terms and conditions to prevent the
unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure of SUNSI by each individual who
will be granted access to SUNSI.
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\2\ Any motion for Protective Order or proposed Non-Disclosure
Affidavit or Agreement for SUNSI must be filed with the presiding
officer or the Chief Administrative Judge if the presiding officer
has not yet been designated, within 30 days of the deadline for the
receipt of the written access request.
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F. Filing of Contentions. Any contentions in these proceedings that
are based upon the information received as a result of the request made
for SUNSI must be filed by the requestor no later than 25 days after
receipt of (or access to) that information. However, if more than 25
days remain between the petitioner's receipt of (or access to) the
information and the deadline for filing all other contentions (as
established in the notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing), the
petitioner may file its SUNSI contentions by that later deadline.
G. Review of Denials of Access.
(1) If the request for access to SUNSI is denied by the NRC staff
after a determination on standing and requisite need, the NRC staff
shall immediately notify the requestor in writing, briefly stating the
reason or reasons for the denial.
(2) The requestor may challenge the NRC staff's adverse
determination by filing a challenge within five days of receipt of that
determination with: (a) the presiding officer designated in this
proceeding; (b) if no presiding officer has been appointed, the Chief
Administrative Judge, or if this individual is unavailable, another
administrative judge, or an Administrative Law Judge with jurisdiction
pursuant to 10 CFR 2.318(a); or (c) if another officer has been
designated to rule on information access issues, with that officer.
(3) Further appeals of decisions under this paragraph must be made
pursuant to 10 CFR 2.311.
H. Review of Grants of Access. A party other than the requestor may
challenge an NRC staff determination granting access to SUNSI whose
release would harm that party's interest independent of the proceeding.
Such a challenge must be filed within 5 days of the notification by the
NRC staff of its grant of access and must be filed with: (a) the
presiding officer designated in this proceeding; (b) if no presiding
officer has been appointed, the Chief Administrative Judge, or if this
individual is unavailable, another administrative judge, or an
Administrative Law Judge with jurisdiction pursuant to 10 CFR 2.318(a);
or (c) if another officer has been designated to rule on information
access issues, with that officer.
If challenges to the NRC staff determinations are filed, these
procedures give way to the normal process for litigating disputes
concerning access to information. The availability of interlocutory
review by the Commission of orders ruling on such NRC staff
determinations (whether granting or denying access) is governed by 10
CFR 2.311.\3\
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\3\ Requestors should note that the filing requirements of the
NRC's E-Filing Rule (72 FR 49139; August 28, 2007, as amended at 77
FR 46562; August 3, 2012, 78 FR 34247, June 7, 2013) apply to
appeals of NRC staff determinations (because they must be served on
a presiding officer or the Commission, as applicable), but not to
the initial SUNSI request submitted to the NRC staff under these
procedures.
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I. The Commission expects that the NRC staff and presiding officers
(and
[[Page 5790]]
any other reviewing officers) will consider and resolve requests for
access to SUNSI, and motions for protective orders, in a timely fashion
in order to minimize any unnecessary delays in identifying those
petitioners who have standing and who have propounded contentions
meeting the specificity and basis requirements in 10 CFR part 2. The
attachment to this Order summarizes the general target schedule for
processing and resolving requests under these procedures.
It is so ordered.
Dated: February 5, 2026.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carrie Safford,
Secretary of the Commission.
Attachment 1--General Target Schedule for Processing and Resolving
Requests for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards
Information in This Proceeding
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Day Event/activity
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0............................ Publication of Federal Register notice of
hearing or opportunity for hearing,
including order with instructions for
access requests.
10........................... Deadline for submitting requests for
access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-
Safeguards Information (SUNSI) which
contains information: (i) supporting the
standing of a potential party identified
by name and address; and (ii) describing
the need for the information in order
for the potential party to participate
meaningfully in an adjudicatory
proceeding.
60........................... Deadline for submitting petition for
intervention which contains: (i)
demonstration of standing; and (ii) all
contentions whose formulation does not
require access to SUNSI (+25 Answers to
petition for intervention; +7 petitioner/
requestor reply).
20........................... U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
staff informs the requestor of the
staff's determination whether the
request for access provides a reasonable
basis to believe standing can be
established and demonstrates the need
for SUNSI. (NRC staff also informs any
party to the proceeding whose interest
independent of the proceeding would be
harmed by the release of the
information.) If NRC staff makes the
finding of need for SUNSI and likelihood
of standing, NRC staff begins document
processing (i.e., preparation of
redactions or review of redacted
documents).
25........................... If NRC staff finds no ``need'' or no
likelihood of standing, the deadline for
petitioner/requestor to file a motion
seeking a ruling to reverse the NRC
staff's denial of access; NRC staff
files copy of access determination with
the presiding officer (or Chief
Administrative Judge or other designated
officer, as appropriate). If NRC staff
finds ``need'' for SUNSI, the deadline
for any party to the proceeding whose
interest independent of the proceeding
would be harmed by the release of the
information to file a motion seeking a
ruling to reverse the NRC staff's grant
of access.
30........................... Deadline for NRC staff's reply to motions
to reverse NRC staff determination(s).
40........................... (Receipt +30) If NRC staff finds standing
and need for SUNSI, deadline for NRC
staff to complete information processing
and file motion for Protective Order and
draft Non-Disclosure Agreement or
Affidavit. Deadline for applicant/
licensee to file Non-Disclosure
Agreement or Affidavit for SUNSI.
A............................ If access is granted: issuance of
presiding officer or other designated
officer decision on motion for
protective order for access to SUNSI
(including schedule for providing access
and submission of contentions) or
decision reversing a final adverse
determination by the NRC staff.
A + 3........................ Deadline for filing executed Non-
Disclosure Agreements or Affidavits.
Access provided to SUNSI consistent with
decision issuing the Protective Order.
A + 28....................... Deadline for submission of contentions
whose development depends upon access to
SUNSI. However, if more than 25 days
remain between the petitioner's receipt
of (or access to) the information and
the deadline for filing all other
contentions (as established in the
notice of hearing or notice of
opportunity for hearing), the petitioner
may file its SUNSI contentions by that
later deadline.
A + 53....................... (Contention receipt +25) Answers to
contentions whose development depends
upon access to SUNSI.
A + 60....................... (Answer receipt +7) Petitioner/Intervenor
reply to answers.
>A + 60...................... Decision on contention admission.
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[FR Doc. 2026-02521 Filed 2-6-26; 8:45 am]
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