Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 94d9f3d5-978d-4aea-9ba7-486ca7f8503a
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Standard Format and Content of Decommissioning Cost Estimates for Nuclear Power Reactors
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0131/ML013100099.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.202
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
funding. 2.2 Cost Estimate Based on Actual Costs at Similar Facilities This type of cost estimate would be appropriate if the licensee had access to the actual costs of decommissioning a facility that used the same decommissioning method (DECON/SAFSTOR) and was of similar size (thermal power rating) and type (PWR/BWR) to the licensee’s facility. For example, some utilities have built essentially identical reactor plants in the same geographical area. If one of these plants has already been decommissioned, the cost data for that plant could serve as the basis for the cost estimate for the other plant. However, site-specific factors such as changes in waste disposal costs and disposal facility availability, changes in radiological decontamination and dismantlement (D&D) techniques, and differences in operational history will cause the estimated cost to differ from the actual decommissioning cost of the reference facility. The estimate of expected radiological decommissioning costs based on actual decommissioning costs of a different but similar type of plant will generally be substantially less detailed than the site-specific cost estimate and can consist of just a few items: ! Thermal power rating, whether the plant is a PWR or BWR, name of the plant, license number (or former number if license is terminated), and reference documentation for the actual decommissioning costs of the plant. ! A list of cost factors and an assessment of how the factors impact the actual cost estimate. ! The major element of the cost estimate is the comparison of the actual decommissioning cost for a similar facility with the estimated decommissioning cost, in current year (estimate year) dollars. Adjustment factors between actual and estimated costs, as discussed in Regulatory Position 2.1, should be explained. ! For the DECON option, the total decommissioning costs should be separated into the following or a similar set of decommissioning cost categories: • Major radioactive