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Duke Energy Progress, LLC; H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2; Final Environmental Impact Statement

---
identifier: "/us/fr/2026-05489"
source: "fr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "Duke Energy Progress, LLC; H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2; Final Environmental Impact Statement"
title_number: 0
title_name: "Federal Register"
section_number: "2026-05489"
section_name: "Duke Energy Progress, LLC; H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2; Final Environmental Impact Statement"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-20"
last_updated: "2026-03-20"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
agency: "Nuclear Regulatory Commission"
document_number: "2026-05489"
document_type: "notice"
publication_date: "2026-03-20"
agencies:
  - "Nuclear Regulatory Commission"
fr_citation: "91 FR 13644"
fr_volume: 91
docket_ids:
  - "Docket No. 50-261"
  - "SEIS-429-00-000-1764730803"
  - "NRC-2025-0076"
fr_action: "Notice; issuance."
---

#  Duke Energy Progress, LLC; H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2; Final Environmental Impact Statement

**AGENCY:**

Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

**ACTION:**

Notice; issuance.

**SUMMARY:**

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) has published a final environmental impact statement (EIS), which is a supplement to NUREG-1437 and is issued as “Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 13, Second Renewal, Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2, Final Report.” This final EIS evaluates the environmental impacts of the proposed subsequent license renewal of Renewed Facility Operating License No. DRP-23 for an additional 20 years of operation for H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2 (RNP). RNP is located in Darlington County, South Carolina, approximately 5 miles west-northwest of Hartsville, South Carolina.

**DATES:**

“Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 13, Second Renewal, Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2, Final Report” is available as of March 12, 2026.

**ADDRESSES:**

Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2025-0076 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publicly available information related to this document using any of the following methods:

*Federal Rulemaking Website:* Go to *https://www.regulations.gov* and search for Docket ID NRC-2025-0076. Address questions about Docket IDs in *Regulations.gov* to Bridget Curran; telephone: 301-415-1003; email: *[email protected].* For technical questions contact the individual listed in the *For Further Information Contact* section of this document.

*NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS):* You may access publicly available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at *https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.* To begin the search, select “Begin ADAMS Public Search.” For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, at 301-415-4737, or by email to *[email protected].* “Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 13, Second Renewal, Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2, Final Report” is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML26062A118.

*NRC's PDR:* The PDR, where you may examine and order copies of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to *[email protected]* or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

*Public Library:* A copy of “Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 13, Second Renewal, Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2, Final Report” will be available for public review at the Hartsville Memorial Library, 147 West College Ave., Hartsville, South Carolina 29550.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**

Karen Loomis, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-5142; email: *[email protected].*

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**

**I. Background**

In accordance with section 51.118 of title 10 of the *Code of Federal Regulations,* “Final environmental impact statement—notice of availability,” the NRC is making available for public inspection “Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 13, Second Renewal, Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2, Final Report” regarding the proposed subsequent license renewal of Renewed Facility Operating License No. DRP-23 for an additional 20 years of operation for RNP. A notice of availability of the draft EIS was published in the *Federal Register* (FR) on January 9, 2026 (91 FR 1007). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also issued its notice of availability of the draft EIS on January 9, 2026 (91 FR 997). The public comment period on the draft EIS ended on February 23, 2026,  and the comments received on the draft EIS are addressed in the final EIS.

**II. Discussion**

The draft EIS was issued for public comment on January 9, 2026. The final EIS addresses the comments received on the draft EIS. As discussed in Chapter 4 of the final EIS, the NRC staff has determined that the adverse environmental impacts of subsequent license renewal for RNP ( *i.e.,* the continued operation of RNP for a period of 20 years beyond the expiration date of the renewed license) are not so great that preserving the option of subsequent license renewal for energy-planning decision-makers would be unreasonable. This recommendation is based on: (1) the analysis and findings in NUREG-1437, Revision 2, “Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Final Report,” dated August 2024; (2) information provided in the environmental report, and other documents submitted by Duke Energy Progress, LLC; (3) the NRC staff's consultation with Federal, State, and local governmental agencies and Indian Tribes; (4) the NRC staff's independent environmental review; and (5) the NRC staff's consideration of public comments received during the scoping process and on the draft EIS.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Dated: March 16, 2026.

Kimyata Savoy,

Acting Deputy Director, Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support, Office of Nuclear Material Safety, and Safeguards.