INDIAN POINT

Indian Point nuclear licenses to cost more

Michael Risinit
  • The Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversees the nation%27s nuclear plants%2C including Indian Point.
  • About 90 percent of its %241 billion budget comes from licensing fees paid by the plants.
  • This year that fee will be %245%2C328%2C000 per operating reactor%2C the NRC said.

Your first driver's license at 16 will cost you $80. A resident hunting license? $22. A license to operate a nuclear reactor? Millions.

The Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan, as seen from across the Hudson River in Tomkins Cove Aug. 27, 2013. . ( Peter Carr / The Journal News )

While most of your tax dollars go toward the agencies and departments involved with health care, defense and the national debt, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission gets most of its money from the industry it oversees. By law, the NRC must recover about 90 percent of its budget from license charges, spokesman Neil Sheehan said.

This year the fee is going up by $938,000. That means Entergy, the owner of Indian Point nuclear power plant, and the country's other nuclear power companies must pony up $5,328,000 for each running reactor. That money will go back into the U.S. Treasury's general fund.

The fee has fluctuated over the years. When Congress passed a budget in January, it allocated a little more than $1 billion for the NRC. The agency then turns to the number of operating reactors — currently 100 — and uses a formula to determine the yearly charge.

The NRC posted its new fee in the Federal Register last week and is accepting public comment on its figures until May 14.

The money pays for the resident inspectors posted at each plant — Indian Point has three, technical reviews by commission staff and a surcharge related to the storage of used nuclear fuel.

Payments must be received by Sept. 30. Indian Point pays its fees on a quarterly basis, Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi said. In total, Indian Point's bill will be about $10.7 million for Units 2 and 3 and $224,000 for the decommissioned Indian Point 1 under the new plan.

Entergy Nuclear owns and operates another nine reactors across the country and its parent corporation has annual revenues of more than $11 billion.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission reactor operating fees

FY2014-15: $5,328,000

FY2013-14: $4,390,000

FY2012-13: $4,766,000

FY2011-12: $4,673,000