Never too early to start planning for plant life extension

As nuclear power plants in the United States approach the mid-cycle of their design lives, interest in plant life extension (PLEX) is increasing. This paper outlines some of the reasons why the subject of PLEX deserves the attention it is receiving and describes some of the work that is currently being conducted in order to make PLEX a reality for US nuclear power plants. One such major effort is a pilot program at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant. This program, as well as other programs, have already produced some valuable lessons from which other plant owners can benefit. The Monticello pilot program and the lessons learned thereof are described in some detail in this paper