The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted subsequent license renewals to both units at the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant in Georgia, completing the review in under 12 months.
Hatch Unit 1 is now licensed to operate through August 2054 and Unit 2 through June 2058, authorizing up to 80 years of operation for each boiling water reactor. Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Atlanta based Southern Company, operates the plant.
The 12 month review duration is the notable element. Subsequent license renewal reviews, which authorize operation from 60 years to 80 years, have historically taken considerably longer. NRC completed the Hatch review alongside a similar renewal at the H.B. Robinson plant within the same window.
The renewals extend the operating life of generation capacity that already runs at high availability. Nuclear plants across the US fleet posted an average annual capacity factor of 91% in 2025, the highest of any generation source, and nuclear supplied roughly 19% of US electricity.
Georgia occupies a particular position in the US nuclear picture. Plant Vogtle, also operated by Southern Nuclear, houses the two most recently completed commercial reactors in the country. Together with Hatch, the state's nuclear fleet supplies a substantial share of Georgia Power's generation at a time when data center load growth across metro Atlanta and the broader Southeast is increasing demand.
NRC approved 13 reactor license renewals in 2025 and has continued processing subsequent renewal applications through 2026 as operators seek to extend existing units rather than retire them.
Source: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission - https://www.nrc.gov/sites/default/files/cdn/doc-collection-news/2026/26-064.pdf