Belews Creek early site permit: NRC early site permit review for Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC — under review. Sourced dates and schedule.
Background: NRC reactor licensing process, explained · The ADVANCE Act, explained: what changed and where the NRC stands
Current state
| Type | Early site permit |
| Outcome | Under review |
| Applicant | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| Facility | Belews Creek site (Stokes County, North Carolina) |
| Docket | 52-055 |
| Submitted | 2025-12-30 |
| Docketed (accepted for review) | 2026-02-09 |
| NRC planned schedule | — |
| NRC target date | — |
| Final safety evaluation | — |
| Decision | — |
| Review time (docketed → decision) | — |
| Submitted → decision | — |
| NRC-reported review duration | — |
| NRC-reported resources vs estimate | — |
Review time is measured in average months from the date the NRC docketed the application to the decision. The NRC's own reported durations may measure to the final safety evaluation instead.
Notes
NRC target for the final safety evaluation: 2027-02. Post-ADVANCE. DEIS target December 2026, FEIS March 2027. Docketed: The same FR notice also says 'The application was docketed on February 9, 2025.' (year typo). NRC page: acceptance and schedule letter ML26016A624, February 9, 2026. Final safety evaluation: Target February 2027 (NRC page). Decision: Under review; 'ESP Decision | TBD'.
Timeline
- 2025-12-30 — Application received: “The application for the ESP was received on December 30, 2025.” (source)
- 2026-02-09 — Accepted for review (docketed): “The NRC staff provided Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, notice of the acceptance and docketing determination by letter dated February 9, 2026” (source)
- 2026-09-17 — Commission mandatory hearing. (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. See the NNN Data License Terms for reuse of the event history.
Related reviews
- Oconee Nuclear Station Units 1, 2 and 3 – Subsequent License Renewal Issued · 44.1 mo
- North Anna early site permit (ESP-003) renewal Under review · —
- Grand Gulf early site permit (ESP-002) renewal Under review · —
- Clinch River Nuclear Site early site permit (ESP-006) Issued · 35.6 mo
See all 75 reviews in the NRC Licensing Review Tracker →