The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved Entergy’s Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station in Port Gibson through 2044.

“We’re very excited to know we’ve been approved to continue operating,” said Entergy spokesperson Mara Hartmann. “It was a lengthy process to get recertified. It was a five-year process. They made a thorough inspection of the plant to make sure we were operating safely and efficiently. We’re going to celebrate Monday at Grand Gulf and in Jackson.”

She said Grand Gulf serves more than just Entergy Mississippi customers. The plant, which began producing electricity in 1985, and is owned jointly by Entergy, which owns 90 percent of the plant and Cooperative Energy, which owns the remaining 10 percent, and some of the power generated by the plant is used by Entergy Arkansas.

“Grand Gulf is the largest nuclear plant in the U.S., and the fifth largest in the world,” Hartmann said.

According to information provided by Entegy announcing the renewal, Grand Gulf produced 14 percent of the state’s electricity in 2016 and prevents the release of 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year.

The plant employs more than 700 Mississippians with an annual payroll of $73 million, and pays $29.5 million in state and local taxes.