No: 14-016 March 6, 2014

CONTACT: David McIntyre, 301-415-8200 

NRC Issues Annual Assessments for Nation’s Nuclear Plants

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued annual assessment letters to the nation’s 100 

operating commercial nuclear power plants regarding their performance in 2013. As of the end of 

December, 89 plants were in the two highest performance categories.

“These assessment letters are an annual report card on the performance of the nation’s nuclear 

power plants,” said Ho Nieh, director of the Division of Inspection and Regional Support in the Office 

of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. “We ensure nuclear power plants are safe by inspecting them and rating 

their performance regularly, as part of our mission to protect people and the environment.”

Of the 89 highest-performing reactors, 80 fully met all safety and security performance 

objectives and were inspected by the NRC using the normal inspection program. Nine reactors were 

assessed as needing to resolve one or two items of low safety significance. For this performance level, 

regulatory oversight includes additional inspection and attention to follow up on corrective actions. 

The plants requiring additional inspection are: Browns Ferry 3 (Ala.); Clinton (Ill.); Fitzpatrick 

(N.Y.); Grand Gulf 1 (Miss.); LaSalle 2 (Ill.); Point Beach 2 (Wisc.); Prairie Island 2 (Minn.);

Robinson (S.C.); and Turkey Point 3 (Fla.). Robinson has resolved their issues since the reporting 

period ended and has transitioned to the highest performing level.

Nine nuclear reactors were in the third performance category with a degraded level of 

performance. For this category, regulatory oversight includes more NRC inspections, senior 

management attention and oversight focused on the cause of the degraded performance. These plants 

were Browns Ferry 2 (Ala.); Duane Arnold (Iowa); Monticello (Minn.); Pilgrim (Mass.); Point Beach 1 

(Wisc.); Sequoyah 1 and 2 (Tenn.); Susquehanna 2 (Pa.); and Watts Bar 1 (Tenn.). Sequoyah 1 and 2 

and Watts Bar 1 have resolved their issues since the reporting period ended and have transitioned to the 

highest performing level.

One reactor, Browns Ferry 1 in Alabama, is in the fourth performance category and requires

increased oversight because of a safety finding of high significance, which will include additional 

inspections to confirm the plant’s performance issues are being addressed. 

Fort Calhoun plant in Nebraska is currently under a special NRC oversight program distinct 

from the normal performance levels because of an extended shutdown with significant performance 

issues. The oversight panel cleared the unit to restart in December, but the plant will remain under 
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special oversight until the panel returns it to the regular program. Therefore, the plant will not receive 

an annual assessment letter.

Later this spring and summer, the NRC will host a public meeting or other event in the vicinity 

of each plant to discuss the details of the annual assessment results. A separate announcement will be 

issued for each public assessment meeting. In addition to the annual assessment letters, plants also 

receive an NRC inspection plan for the coming year.

The NRC routinely updates information on each plant’s current performance and posts the latest 

information as it becomes available to the action matrix summary. The annual assessment letters sent to 

each operating reactor licensee (as well as mid-cycle assessments issued each September) are also 

available through the NRC’s webpage on the Reactor Oversight Process. Annual construction 

assessments for new reactors at the Vogtle and Summer sites and at Watts Bar 2 are also on the NRC 

website.