Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 200 / Monday, October 16, 2000 / Notices 61199

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day

of October 2000.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 00–26478 Filed 10–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50–254, 50–265]

In the Matter of Commonwealth Edison

Company (Quad Cities Nuclear Power

Station, Units 1 and 2); Order

Approving Application Regarding

Proposed Corporate Restructuring

I

Commonwealth Edison Company

(ComEd, the licensee) owns 75 percent

of the Quad Cities Nuclear Power

Station, Units 1 and 2 ( the facility) and

is the licensed operator of both stations.

MidAmerican Energy Company

(MidAmerican) owns the remaining

interest. Facility Operating Licenses

Nos. DPR–29 and DPR–30 authorize

ComEd, acting for itself and as agent for

MidAmerican to possess, use, and

operate the facility. The facility is

located at ComEd’s site in Rock Island

County, Illinois.

II

By application dated July 7, 2000,

ComEd requested approval of the

proposed indirect transfer of the facility

operating licenses to the extent now

held by ComEd to Exelon Corporation,

to be formed in connection with the

proposed merger of Unicom Corporation

(Unicom), the parent of ComEd, and

PECO Energy Company (PECO).

Supplemental information was provided

by submittals dated July 13 and

September 1, 2000. Hereinafter, the July

7, 2000, application and supplemental

information will be referred to

collectively as the ‘‘application.’’

Under the proposed merger, ComEd

will become a direct or indirect

subsidiary of Exelon Corporation. The

merger was previously the subject of an

order dated August 3, 2000, by which

the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission approved the transfer of

the Quad Cities licenses, to the extent

now held by ComEd, to Exelon

Generation Company, LLC (EGC). EGC

will be formed in connection with the

merger as an indirect subsidiary of

Exelon Corporation to acquire the

generating assets of PECO and ComEd.

The August 3, 2000, order effectively

allows ComEd’s Quad Cities assets to be

transferred to EGC. According to the

application here, the transfer of these

assets may be delayed beyond the

closing of the merger. During this

interim period, Exelon Corporation

would be the direct parent of ComEd as

ComEd continues to hold its interest in

the Quad Cities and other generating

assets pending the receipt of necessary

approvals to allow the generating assets

to be transferred to EGC. Specifically,

ComEd would continue to hold a partial

ownership interest in Quad Cities, Units

1 and 2, and would continue to be the

sole operator of Quad Cities, Units 1 and

2. The application does not involve any

change with respect to the nonoperating ownership interest held by

MidAmerican.

By a separate application dated July 7,

2000, PECO requested approval of the

indirect transfer of the facility operating

licenses that it holds to Exelon

Corporation, which would occur under

circumstances similar to the above for

ComEd. That application is being

addressed separately.

Approval of the indirect transfer of

the facility operating licenses was

requested by ComEd pursuant to 10 CFR

50.80. Notice of the request for approval

and an opportunity for a hearing was

published in the Federal Register on

August 31, 2000 (65 FR 53040). The

Commission received no comments or

requests for hearing pursuant to such

notice.

Under 10 CFR 50.80, no license, or

any right thereunder, shall be

transferred, directly or indirectly,

through transfer of control of the

license, unless the Commission shall

give its consent in writing. Upon review

of the information in the application by

ComEd, and other information before

the Commission, the NRC staff has

determined that the proposed corporate

restructuring under which Exelon

Corporation will become the parent of

ComEd will not affect the qualifications

of ComEd as holder of the licenses

described above, and that the indirect

transfer of the licenses, to the extent

effected by the proposed corporate

restructuring, is otherwise consistent

with applicable provisions of law,

regulations, and orders issued by the

Commission, subject to the conditions

set forth below.

The findings set forth above, are

supported by a safety evaluation dated

October 5, 2000.

III

Accordingly, pursuant to sections

161b, 161i, 161o, and 184 of the Atomic

Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 42

U.S.C. 2201(b), 2201(i), 2201(o), and

2234; and 10 CFR 50.80, It Is Hereby

Ordered that the application regarding

the indirect license transfers related to

the proposed corporate restructuring is

approved, subject to the following

conditions:

(1) ComEd shall provide the Director

of the Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation a copy of any application, at

the time it is filed, to transfer (excluding

grants of security interests or liens) from

ComEd to its proposed parent, or to any

other affiliated company, facilities for

the production, transmission, or

distribution of electric energy having a

depreciated book value exceeding ten

percent (10%) of ComEd’s consolidated

net utility plant, as recorded on

ComEd’s books of account, provided,

however, this condition shall apply only

for so long as ComEd holds a license

issued pursuant to 10 CFR Part 50.

(2) Should the proposed merger and

restructuring not be completed by

October 5, 2001, this Order shall

become null and void, provided,

however, upon written application and

for good cause shown, such date may in

writing be extended.

This Order is effective upon issuance.

For further details with respect to this

Order, see the initial application dated

July 7, 2000, and supplemental

submittals dated July 13 and September

1, 2000, and the safety evaluation dated

October 5, 2000, which are available for

public inspection at the Commission’s

Public Document Room located at One

White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike

(first floor), Rockville, Maryland, and

accessible electronically through the

ADAMS Public Electronic Reading

Room link at the NRC Web site (http:/

/www.nrc.gov).

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day

of October 2000.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 00–26479 Filed 10–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. STN 50–456, STN 50–457]

In the Matter of Commonwealth Edison

Company (Braidwood Station, Units 1

and 2) Order Approving Application

Regarding Proposed Corporate

Restructuring

I

Commonwealth Edison Company

(ComEd, the licensee) is the holder of

Facility Operating Licenses Nos. NPF–

72 and NPF–77, which authorize the