The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has extended the operating license for two nuclear reactors in Beaver County by 20 years each.

The NRC extended the licenses Thursday after a series of reviews and inspections at FirstEnergy Corp.'s Beaver Valley Unit 1 and Unit 2 reactors in Shippingport.

The original 40-year operating license for Unit 1 will expire in January 2016, while Unit 2's license runs until May 2027. Those licenses now run until 2036 and 2047, respectively.

The Unit 1 reactor went online in 1976 and Unit 2 in 1987.

FirstEnergy has spent $500 million upgrading the plant since buying it in 1999.

The plant employs 950 workers and generates enough electricity to power 1.4 million homes.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.