The Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) is opposing Ameren Missouri's proposal to extend its federal license to operate the nuclear reactor at the Callaway Energy Center south of Fulton.
Ameren Missouri announced last December it is seeking a 20-year extension of its license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to operate the nuclear plant, which is scheduled to expire in 2024.
The plant has been in operation since 1985.
Diane Curran, a Washington, D.C. attorney hired by the environmental coalition, said the group has asked the NRC for a hearing and permission to intervene in Ameren's request to extend its permit to operate the current nuclear reactor at the plant.
Curran said a panel of three administrative law judges will consider MCE's request to intervene to determine if the issues raised by the coalition merit a review by the commission.
The MCE has a long history of legal intervention opposing the Callaway nuclear reactor dating back to its construction 27 years ago.
The organization contends that wind energy can meet the energy demand more cost effectively during the 20 years the license extension would cover.
Ameren Missouri officials have stated that experiments the utility has conducted show that wind is not a reliable and steady enough source of dependable power generation throughout a 24-hour period.