NextEra Energy Inc. is seeking to amend its emergency plan to consolidate or make remote some emergency response staff for its nuclear plants, but federal regulators say they need more justification before they will consider the changes.
"The top priority of NextEra Energy's fleet common emergency plan is protection of public health and safety, which will not be compromised," NextEra spokesperson Lindsay Robertson told S&P Global Commodity Insights. "The changes we have proposed do not alter the number of full-time employees at our company's nuclear facilities. All employees at the company's nuclear facilities play an emergency response role. The company will always ensure its facilities have appropriate staffing in everyday operations and in an emergency situation."
NextEra has repeatedly sought a change to its emergency response staffing plans since 2022, and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has responded with requests for supplemental information from the company, according to a March 19 NRC staff report. The NRC again requested additional justification and validation of staffing cuts in its latest meeting with the company, including for specific roles.
"Requesting a change in staff augmentation requirements that would have the lead manager unavailable to assume command and control within 60 minutes of the initial emergency declaration should show that the on-shift staff includes enough qualified supervision such that one supervisor will assume the emergency director role," NRC staff said in their presentation. "[NextEra] should show that the on-shift supervisor performing the manager actions will not have any additional duties."
NextEra, for example, suggested that within 60 minutes of an alert or higher declared emergency at one of its nuclear plants, a qualified site emergency director would be in contact with the shift manager or emergency director to remotely assist in the command and control duties.
"The use of a remote responder performing command-and-control functions has not been validated by [NextEra] and is not consistent with the current industry," NRC staff said. "The application did not provide sufficient justification that supports a finding of timely augmentation of response capabilities is available."
NextEra also suggested a reduction of qualified onsite radiation protection personnel, proposed that radiation protection coordinators or supervisors respond to emergencies remotely within 60 minutes and sought a reduction in onsite electricians, mechanics and field monitoring, among other changes.
The NRC staff said more information is needed to continue review of the proposed changes.
NextEra plans to provide more information to demonstrate how the proposed changes are "designed to improve our emergency preparedness and response process," Robertson said.
NextEra owns the Point Beach nuclear plant in Wisconsin, is a partial owner of the Duane Arnold Energy Center undergoing decommissioning in Iowa and is a partial owner of the Seabrook nuclear plant in New Hampshire. NextEra subsidiary Florida Power & Light Co. owns the Turkey Point Nuclear plant and is a partial owner of the St. Lucie nuclear plant, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data.
US Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, both Democrats representing Massachusetts, urged the NRC in a December 2023 letter to carefully consider any proposals by NextEra to consolidate emergency response services or increase emergency response times.
"This new proposed plan would limit emergency response capabilities, including by increasing the distance between the off-site emergency response facility and nuclear power plants managed by NextEra. As a result, communities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire that live within the emergency planning zone of NextEra Energy's Seabrook nuclear power plant would be exposed to greater risks, if an emergency should occur," the senators wrote. "As such, we urge you to uphold the NRC's mandate to ensure that nuclear power plants do not jeopardize the safety of the environment and the public by carefully evaluating NextEra's [license amendment request] and rejecting any changes that would increase threats to communities living near nuclear power stations."
