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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. says it expects to have a federal license by January to operate two new nuclear reactors it wants to build in Fairfield County.

The State newspaper reported SCE&G received a letter Wednesday from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission saying the utility's application is complete and a final safety report should be ready in September.

The NRC then would have four months to hold a public hearing and issue the licenses for the nearly $10 billion project.

SCE&G is building the reactors with the state-owned utility Santee Cooper. They already operate one reactor at the Jenkinsville site.

SCE&G owns 55 percent of the plants.

The plants are expected to being operation in 2016 and 2019.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)