Entergy Vermont Yankee reactor back at full power

NEW YORK Nov 19 (Reuters) - Entergy Corp's (ETR.N) 620-megawatt Vermont Yankee nuclear power station returned to full power by early Thursday from 67 percent early Wednesday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a report.

Entergy reduced the unit earlier in the week for a planned quarterly rod pattern adjustment.

Nuclear operators rearrange the fuel in the reactor to make sure it burns evenly.

Vermont Yankee, which entered service in 1972, is located in Vernon in Windham County about 80 miles north of Hartford, Connecticut.

Entergy is waiting for the NRC Commissioners to decide on the company's application to extend the plant's original 40-year operating license for another 20 years. Entergy filed the application in January 2006.

The company hoped to get the NRC extension in the fourth quarter of 2009 or the first quarter of 2010.

It usually takes the NRC about 22 months to make a decision on renewal without a hearing and about 30 months with a hearing.

The NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) held a hearing and recommended the NRC approve the license extension.

The ASLB however wanted Entergy to perform additional analysis on the reactor vessel nozzles before the NRC granted the extension. Entergy conducted that analysis even though the NRC staff objected to the ASLB request for additional analysis.

Entergy also needs a certificate of public good from the Vermont Public Service Board and a vote in the state legislature to keep the reactor running for another 20 years.

One MW powers about 1,000 homes in Vermont.

Entergy, of New Orleans, owns and operates about 30,000 MW of generating capacity, markets energy commodities, and transmits and distributes power to 2.7 million customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. (Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by John Picinich)