This story was updated at 2:55 p.m. EST.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has assembled an internal expert panel to determine the fate of the broken San Onofre nuclear plant in California.

The 12-person panel will oversee Southern California Edison's proposal to restart the crippled twin reactors, which have been shut down for almost a year following a January 2012 radiation leak inside a steam generator at the San Diego County facility.

Art Howell, deputy regional administrator for NRC's Region 4 in Arlington, Texas, will lead the group, said Victor Dricks, an agency spokesman. Dan Dorman, the deputy director of engineering and corporate support in NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, will also sit on the panel, Dricks said.

The group will oversee NRC's review of steam generator issues, licensing reviews and corrective actions and will make a recommendation on the potential restart of the San Onofre plant, he said.

The call for whether San Onofre can restart could be made by a number of NRC officials, depending on whether Southern California Edison, the plant's operator, must first amend its license to account for installing new equipment at the plant that contributed to the radiation leak.

Eric Leeds, the director of the agency's Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, could sign off on a restart plan if a license amendment is required. Elmo Collins, the regional administrator for the NRC's Region 4 office in Texas, could approve the plant if no such amendment is needed.

"In actuality, either way the two of them will be conferring closely and likely consulting with higher management and the commission before reaching a decision," said David McIntyre, a spokesman for the agency.

Southern California Edison is asking NRC to restart Unit 2 at the plant and run it at 70 percent capacity for five months. The agency has said a decision could come as early as March (Greenwire, Jan. 4).

NRC Chairwoman Allison Macfarlane toured the crippled reactors for the first time yesterday and is scheduled to tour Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant near San Luis Obispo, Calif., today. The Diablo plant also drew public attention last year after California regulators denied PG&E's request to conduct offshore seismic surveys (Greenwire, Nov. 15, 2012).