A $64 million plan to probe potential seismic problems at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station pending California Public Utilities Commission approval is to be carried out simultaneously with an application to extend the plant’s operating license another 20 years. While San Onofre’s operator--Southern California Edison--has been nebulous in its commitment to extend the nuclear plant’s license, Mark Nelson, Edison director of generation planning, told regulators July 26 that the utility intends to apply for a longer-term operating permit from the federal government “contemporaneously” with new seismic studies. Nelson advised CPUC and California Energy Commission members that Edison intends to bring before the CPUC the cost-effectiveness of a license extension for the nuclear facility. If the 20-year license extension ultimately is approved, Edison could run the two units until 2042. The seismic study linchpin is not a done deal, however. The CPUC is still considering whether to approve the $64 million study, plus Pacific Gas & Electric’s request for $85 million to fund its pending reactor license extension for the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. The requests were pulled off the CPUC’s hearing dockets after the Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns. An administrative law judge heard requests to continue the dockets earlier this month, but no decision has been issued as of press time. On the federal level, despite that several lawmakers have requested regulators to halt nuclear plant relicensing in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission continues to approve extensions. On July 20, the commission approved its 71st license extension for the Hope Creek plant in New Jersey. Since Fukushima’s troubles, the NRC has approved five license extensions, including the three reactors at Palo Verde which send electricity to Southern California. Edison is the primary owner and operator of the San Onofre nuclear plant. San Diego Gas & Electric owns 20 percent of the facility. Riverside partakes in a tiny percentage of ownership.