NextEra Energy Duane Arnold License Transfer

Content

ACTION:

Order; issuance.

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an order approving the direct transfer of partial ownership of Renewed
Facility License (RFL) No. DPR-49 for the Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC) and of the associated general license for the
DAEC Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) from two of the current owners, Central Iowa Power Cooperative and
Corn Belt Power Cooperative, to the third current owner, NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC (NEDA). Following the transfer,
NEDA will be the 100-percent owner of RFL No. DPR-49 and the associated general license for the DAEC ISFSI. The NRC is also
approving a conforming amendment to RFL No. DPR-49 for administrative purposes to reflect the license transfer.

DATES:

The order was issued on March 30, 2026, and is effective for one year.

ADDRESSES:

Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2026-0298 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-2026-0298. Address questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Bridget Curran; telephone: 301-415-1003; email: Bridget.Curran@nrc.gov. 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 obtain 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 PDR.Resource@nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it is
mentioned in this document.

• 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 PDR.Resource@nrc.gov or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Brent Ballard, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone:
301-415-0680; email: Brent.Ballard@nrc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The text of the order is attached.

Dated: April 1, 2026. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Ilka Berrios, Chief, Plant Licensing Branch III, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

Attachment—Order Approving Direct Transfer of Licenses and Conforming Amendment

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

In the Matter of: NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC, Central Iowa Power Cooperative, Corn Belt Power Cooperative. (Duane Arnold
Energy Center and the Associated Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation). Docket Nos. 50-331 and 72-32, Renewed License
No. DPR-49.

Order Approving Direct Transfer of Licenses and Conforming Amendment

I.

NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC (NEDA), Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO), and Corn Belt Power Cooperative (Corn Belt)
are the owners of the Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC). With respect to their ownerships, they are co-holders of U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) Renewed Facility License No. DPR-49 for the DAEC and of the associated general
license for the DAEC independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI). NEDA, the current operator licensee, holds 70 percent
ownership of the DAEC, CIPCO holds 20 percent ownership of the DAEC, and Corn Belt holds 10 percent ownership of the DAEC.
The DAEC is located in Linn County, Iowa.

II.

By application dated November 25, 2025 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML25330A015),
as supplemented by letter dated February 23, 2026 (ML26055A092), NEDA, CIPCO, and Corn Belt requested, pursuant to Section
184, “Inalienability of Licenses,” of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (AEA), and title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.80, “Transfer of licenses,” that the NRC consent to the direct transfer of CIPCO's 20-percent ownership
interest and Corn Belt's 10-percent ownership interest of Renewed Facility License No. DPR-49 for the DAEC and of the associated
general license for the DAEC ISFSI to NEDA. NEDA also requested, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.90, “Application for amendment of license,
construction permit, or early site permit,” that the NRC approve an administrative amendment to Renewed Facility License No.
DPR-49 to reflect the transfer, to be issued and made effective at the time the transfer occurs.

On January 29, 2026, the NRC published a notice of consideration of approval of the license transfer application in the
Federal Register
(91 FR 3930). This notice provided an opportunity to comment, request a hearing, and petition for leave to intervene on the
license transfer application. The NRC did not receive any hearing requests in response to the notice. The NRC did receive
comments in response to the notice, which the NRC staff considered and addressed in the safety evaluation supporting this
transfer order.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.80, no license for a utilization facility, or any right thereunder, shall be transferred, either voluntarily
or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, through transfer of control of the license to any person, unless the NRC gives its
consent in writing. Upon review of the information in the license transfer application and other information before the Commission,
and relying upon the representations contained in the application, the NRC staff has determined that NEDA is qualified to
be the holder of the licenses to the extent proposed and that the transfer of the licenses, as described in the application,
is otherwise consistent with applicable provisions of law, regulations, and orders issued by the Commission pursuant thereto.

Upon review of the request in the license transfer application for approval of a conforming administrative amendment to reflect
the transfer, the NRC staff has determined that the application for amendment complies with the standards and requirements
of the AEA and the Commission's rules and regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; the facility will operate in conformity
with the application, the provisions of the AEA, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; there is reasonable assurance
that the activities authorized by the amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public and
that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations; the issuance of the amendment will
not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; and the issuance of the amendment
is in accordance with 10 CFR part 51, “Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory
Functions,” of the Commission's regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied.

The findings set forth above are supported by an NRC staff safety evaluation dated the same date as this order, which is available
at ADAMS Accession No. ML26068A226.

III.

Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 161b, 161i, and 184 of the AEA, Title 42 of the United States Code Sections 2201(b), 2201(i), and 2234, and 10 CFR 50.80 and 10 CFR 50.90, it is hereby ordered that the license transfer application, as described herein, is approved.

It is further ordered that, consistent with 10 CFR 2.1315(b), the license amendment that makes changes, as indicated in Enclosure 2 to the cover
letter forwarding this order, to reflect the subject direct transfer is approved. The amendment shall be issued and made effective
at the time the proposed direct transfer action is completed.

It is further ordered that after receipt of all required regulatory approvals of the proposed direct transfer action, NEDA shall inform the Director
of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation in writing of such receipt no later than 2 business days prior to the date of
the closing of the direct transfer. Should the proposed direct transfer not be completed within 1 year of the date of this
order, this order shall become null and void; provided, however, that upon written application and for good cause shown, such
date may be extended by order.

This order is effective upon issuance.

For further details with respect to this order, see the license transfer application dated November 25, 2025, as supplemented
by letter dated February 23, 2026, and the associated NRC staff safety evaluation dated the same date as this order. Publicly
available documents created or received at the NRC are accessible electronically through ADAMS in the NRC Public Documents
collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact
the NRC Public Document Room reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or by email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov.

Dated: March 30, 2026.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Jamie Pelton,

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 2026-06498 Filed 4-2-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

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