The oldest nuclear power plant in Wisconsin will reach its projected lifespan of 40 years next month, but a nuclear operating group is planning to extend its use by up to 20 years.

Point Beach Power Plant is located north of Milwaukee and is one of three nuclear power plants in Wisconsin, according to NextEra Energies, the Florida-based energy group that owns and operates the plants.

The other two nuclear power plants owned by the company are also nearing 40 years of age – one in Kewaunee and another in Point Beach.

The Point Beach plant began operations in December of 1970 and NextEra Energy was able to extend the operation until 2030. The company is also seeking permission to increase output by 17 percent in 2011.

U.S. reactors are given an initial 40-year operating license by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said Paul Wilson, an engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin.

While this creates a regulatory limit, it does not create a technical limit, Wilson said, so most reactors in the U.S. are expected to successfully apply for such a license renewal.

Katie Nekola, energy program director for Clean Wisconsin, said pushing the aging plants only increases the risk of accidents.

According to NexEtra Energy’s website, Point Beach Power Plant has excellent safety conditions and accidents have not been an issue.

Michael Corradini, a UW engineering professor, said the Point Beach plant has not had significant problems and should be safe to continue operating.

However, Nekola said the Point Beach Power Plant has seen at least one safety violation each year.

The plant was previously considered to have the most serious safety issues of all nuclear power plants in the country, Nekola said.

Though NextEra Energy reports nuclear power plants are the most secure industrial facilities in the United States, Nekola pointed to a recent incident at the Indian Point Power Plant in New York to provide further evidence of their instability.

On Sunday, the Indian Point plant suffered an explosion that Nekola said exemplifies the risk in using aging radioactive material.

Wilson, however, is confident the operators of Point Beach will be able to justify continued operation through a combination of equipment upgrades and advanced analysis.

The Point Beach plant is currently one of the oldest reactors still in service but produces significant electricity output for Wisconsin, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

According to the Point Beach Power Plant Fact Sheet the plant produces an output of 1,023 megawatts, or one-sixth of Wisconsin’s energy consumption, according to NextEra Energies.

However, Nekola said the energy produced at Point Beach may not be necessary for the state.

Wisconsin has a surplus of electricity, and much of what is produced is sold to other states, Nekola said.

“We are swimming in electric power,” Nekola said.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. produces 2,000 metric tons of radioactive waste annually, which takes thousands of years to break down.

Corradini said the radioactive waste is safely stored in concrete casks on site.

“All forms of energy have a by-product,” Corradini said. “The alternative, coal, produces waste that enters the atmosphere.”

Nekola said more environmentally-friendly energy production, like wind or solar energy, would be a better investment.

Governor-elect Scott Walker has said he supports continued nuclear power production in Wisconsin.