New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 14 - PUBLIC UTILITIES
Chapter 5A - NUCLEAR PLANT DECOMMISSIONING COST AND TRUST FUND REVIEW
Subchapter 2 - DECOMMISSIONING COST UPDATE
Section 14:5A-2.1 - Filing

(a) Every New Jersey electric public utility having an ownership interest in one or more nuclear generating stations in commercial operation shall file by January 1, 1996, and every four years thereafter, unless otherwise directed by the Board, a "Decommissioning Cost Update" (Update) with the Board for its consideration. Such Update filing shall be accompanied by the site-specific decommissioning cost information required by 14:5A-2.2. If the site-specific decommissioning cost study is not available on the required filing date, an extension for filing same shall be requested by the electric public utility indicating the reason(s) for the delay and the expected filing date, which shall be no later than 60 days from the required filing date.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of (a) above, at or about five years prior to the scheduled cessation of commercial operation of a nuclear generating station a Decommissioning Cost Update shall be filed for that station(s) and a revised filing made thereafter to reflect any significant changes in the update as they become known.

(c) At such time as the licensee of a nuclear generating station, in which a New Jersey electric public utility has an ownership interest, applies to the NRC for termination of its license and submits a decommissioning plan under 10 CFR 50.82, that New Jersey electric public utility shall submit to the Board a copy of the decommissioning plan submitted to the NRC under 10 CFR 50.82. Following the permanent cessation of commercial operations, the New Jersey electric public utility shall also submit a copy of the post-shutdown decommissioning activities report (PSDAR) submitted to the NRC under 10 CFR 50.82.

(d) If the Board has fully reviewed the decommissioning cost issue for a nuclear generating facility outside the context of this chapter within three years of the required date of an Update filing, the electric public utility may, in lieu of filing a "Decommissioning Cost Update" as required in (a) above, file a certification that no significant changes have occurred in the estimates presented since that review. The electric public utility shall file with its certification any information required by 14:5A-2.2 that was not addressed in that previous review.

(e) If the Board has accepted an electric public utility's initial decommissioning cost estimates within the context of this chapter, the electric public utility may, in lieu of filing a "Decommissioning Cost Update" as required in (a) above, file the certification described in (d) above; or may elect to file a summary of changes detailing the cost categories, assumptions, escalation factors and Update elements for which significant changes have occurred since the Board's acceptance of the utility's last Update, and the reason(s) for the changes.

(f) The Update described in (a) above, or the relevant substitute described in (d) and/or (e) above, shall be filed with the Secretary of the Board and shall be assigned a docket number for purposes of identification and document control. This filing shall include a summary of significant changes from the last Update filing by account and amount, as well as relevant assumptions, for all of its nuclear generating units on an overall basis, and for each nuclear generating station. A cost estimate using the NRC formula shall also be included in the filing. (See 10 CFR 50.75(c)(1) for the NRC formula.)

(g) For ease of comparison, the initial format shall be used consistently in subsequent filings unless there is compelling reason to deviate. Such compelling reason shall be expressly indicated in the filing.

(h) If a nuclear generation facility has permanently ceased commercial operation, the utility shall file with the Board any decommissioning cost studies or similar studies prepared by or on behalf of the utility regarding that facility, including, but not limited to, studies and reports required under NRC regulations, at the same time that those studies or reports are filed with the relevant agency. However, the Board may additionally require that the utility file a complete Update as described in (a) above.