The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has extended the operating licenses for Florida Power & Light Company’s (FPL) Turkey Point nuclear power plant Units 3 and 4, allowing them to operate until 2052 and 2053, respectively. The plant, located 25 miles south of Miami, provides enough energy to power nearly one million homes and businesses, playing a key role in Florida’s energy grid and supporting the state’s growing population.
Turkey Point became the first US nuclear plant to receive a subsequent 20-year license renewal in 2019, but the NRC requested additional environmental data in 2022, prompting a re-evaluation of the licenses. Following a comprehensive environmental review, the licenses were re-approved.
The Turkey Point site, which spans 11,000 acres and includes cooling canals within protected mangrove swamps, is home to endangered species like the American crocodile. Nuclear power accounts for 20% of FPL’s energy mix, making it Florida’s second-largest energy source.
FPL, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, recently partnered with Entergy to develop 4.5 GW of new solar and energy storage projects across the US.