Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair tours Brunswick Power Plant for safety and innovation insights

SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — The chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission stopped by the Brunswick nuclear power plant Wednesday afternoon.

The plant tour was the second stop for Chair Chris Hanson to see sites related to nuclear energy in the Cape Fear.

He stopped by GE Hitachi in Wilmington on Tuesday.

Hanson toured the Brunswick Power Plant, getting to see its security and spoke with plant managers and workers.

Hanson said these visits are important to see how plants improve over time, while also making sure the commission can continue making future plants safer.

“That as the safety regulator, we have a set of requirements that are clear, processes that are predictable so that people can see that line of sight and say okay I want to build a new reactor, here’s how I’m gonna get it licensed and then they can go and build a facility that is protective of both people and the environment,” Hanson said.

Currently, the Brunswick Power Plant provides electricity to around 1 million homes in the Cape Fear area, a number that will continue to grow as more people move here.

Plant communications manager Karen Williams said the plant will be able to handle the increase in demand, as it has ever since the plant first opened more than 40 years ago.

“The plant, even though it has been here for decades, it is safer, more reliable and makes more electricity than it was originally designed and built and that’s a testament to the ongoing work of our employees who continuously work to improve the plant and how it operates,” Williams said.

Williams said the plant will look to recertify its operating license within the next decade, which will allow it to continue operation into the 2050s.