The federal government has given Xcel Energy permission to continue operating its nuclear power plant in Monticello for another two decades. On Monday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission renewed the 53-year-old plant’s operating license, allowing it to keep generating power through Sept. 8, 2050. The plant is located about 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis, on the Mississippi River. Xcel has said continuing to operate its two Minnesota nuclear plants, at Prairie Island near Red Wing and Monticello, is critical to its transition to carbon-free electricity. The Monticello plant produces enough energy to power more than half a million homes in the Upper Midwest. “As the only 24/7 carbon-free energy source we have, nuclear energy will be key to accelerating our journey to a clean energy future while ensuring we also meet the unprecedented growth in our customers’ demand for electricity,” Bob Frenzel, Xcel’s president and CEO, said in a news release. As Monticello’s largest employer and local taxpayer, Xcel also touts the plant’s economic impact. But some critics have raised safety concerns about the aging plant. In late 2022, a broken pipe leaked hundreds of thousands of gallons of water containing radioactive tritium. State and Xcel officials said there was no threat to the public. Nevertheless, Xcel and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency came under criticism for not notifying the public until months later. The Atomic Energy Act authorizes the NRC to issue licenses for commercial power reactors to operate for up to 40 years, and renew the licenses for an additional 20 years at a time. The Monticello plant’s license was set to expire in 2030. Xcel first applied to renew the plant’s license in January 2023. The lengthy review process included an environmental impact statement and a safety evaluation. The state Public Utilities Commission already agreed to allow the Monticello plant to keep operating through 2040. Xcel says it will return to the PUC to seek approval for the additional 10 years at some point in the future. Related Articles Local News | Minnesota sanctions South Dakota-based Sanford Health for wage violations Local News | Mayo Clinic sues Sanford Health Plan over a patient’s unpaid medical bills Local News | California trucker charged with murder in New Year’s Eve stabbing at southwestern Minnesota bar Local News | Recent major fraud cases in Minnesota Local News | Man accused of hiding stolen ‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby slippers to plead guilty, attorney says