Federal Regulators Cite Violations at McGuire Nuclear Plant

NRC cites violations at McGuire nuclear plant as oversight continues at North Carolina’s largest power station

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Federal regulators cited Duke Energy’s McGuire Nuclear Station for two violations linked to procedural and maintenance shortcomings — including one that led to a manual reactor shutdown — underscoring ongoing scrutiny at North Carolina’s largest power plant. 

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said both findings were of “low safety significance,” the lowest category on its enforcement scale, and were handled as non-cited violations. The inspection reviewed operations between October 1 and Dec. 31, according to a report obtained by WCAB News.

However, the report said, "...the inspectors determined the performance deficiency was more than minor because it was associated with the equipment performance...adversely affected...the likelihood of events that upset plant stability and challenge critical safety functions during shutdown as well as power operations." 

The NRC — the independent federal agency charged with protecting public health and safety while regulating civilian nuclear materials — licenses reactors, conducts inspections, and enforces compliance requirements nationwide. It continues to oversee McGuire through its reactor oversight process, with resident inspectors stationed at the site.

In December, WCAB News exclusively reported about how NRC allowed Duke Energy to limit certain documents from the public tied to nuclear reactor operations.

Procedural lapse draws scrutiny

Inspectors found operators lacked sufficiently detailed instructions while conducting system-charging activities under an off-normal configuration, resulting in temperature change limits being exceeded in safety-related equipment. Regulators said the issue affected procedural safeguards intended to ensure physical barriers prevent potential radioactive releases, though it did not impair key safety systems. Duke Energy revised procedures and retrained personnel following the incident, the report said.

Deferred maintenance issue led to the shutdown

A second violation involved the company’s failure to address a degraded relief valve condition first documented in 2019. Inspectors determined the condition was improperly prioritized and deferred across multiple outages before worsening into a leak of about four gallons per minute outside containment in October 2025, prompting operators to manually shut down Unit 2. 

The valve was replaced, and federal risk modeling determined the incident carried a minimal probability of severe reactor damage or radiation release. 

Inspectors also recorded a minor administrative violation related to emergency diesel generator requirements, which carried little safety consequence and did not prompt enforcement action. 

Facility scale and oversight context

Located about 17 miles northwest of Charlotte, McGuire is a 2,316-megawatt facility with two pressurized water reactors that began operating in 1981 and 1984. Duke Energy says the plant produces electricity for more than 1.7 million homes and manages used fuel onsite through an independent storage installation.

The NRC concluded the plant operated safely during 2024, with performance indicators and inspection findings in the lowest risk category, and both units remain authorized to operate under federal licenses. Oversight includes continuous monitoring, periodic inspections, and reviews of licensing matters, including requests tied to inspection interval exemptions.

Broader regulatory changes

The inspection findings arrive as the NRC undertakes a significant internal reorganization intended to streamline licensing and inspection coordination and align with federal policy encouraging deployment of advanced nuclear technology. Agency leaders say the restructuring is designed to improve accountability and consistency across regional offices while maintaining safety oversight of existing reactors.

Public interface

Beyond operations, the McGuire site hosts the EnergyExplorium, an education center focused on nuclear power and energy production, highlighting the plant’s presence in the surrounding community.

Duke Energy has 30 days to contest the inspection findings or their severity. Regulators said monitoring of the facility will continue under routine federal oversight.

Regional significance

Nearly 285,000 people live within 10 miles of Duke Energy’s McGuire Nuclear Plant in Mecklenburg County, officials say — and while Rutherford County falls just outside the 50-mile zone that emergency management planners monitor, local fire department sources say it is still close enough to raise concern. FEMA could not provide an exact number of people who might be impacted in the region outside of the 10-mile zone when asked by WCAB News at an August briefing.