Three PA nuclear plants dealing with COVID-19 and March refueling outages at Beaver Valley, Limerick and Susquehanna
Planned Nuclear Refueling Outages in 2020
In 2020, 56 of the nation’s 58 nuclear reactors in 21 states—including several that have issued lockdown measures—planned to undergo refueling outages. At least 31 of the 58 plants had scheduled outages between mid-February and early May. The remaining 25 planned refueling outages between late August and late October.
The average U.S. refueling outage times have shortened in recent years—decreasing from an average of 46 days in 2012 to 32 days in 2019—owing in part to improved and planning and execution practices for refueling outages over the years, NEI told POWER. Of significant note is that the 2020 season is poised to be especially busy in part because planned nuclear generation outages are generally timed to coincide with a plant’s refueling cycle, it said.
Table. Expected U.S. Nuclear Plant Refueling Outages in 2020. Courtesy: NEI
|
|
Plant
|
City
|
State
|
Company
|
Approx. Start
|
|
1
|
Browns Ferry
|
Athens
|
AL
|
Tennessee Valley Authority
|
Mid February
|
|
2
|
Grand Gulf
|
Port Gibson
|
MS
|
Entergy
|
Mid February
|
|
3
|
Brunswick
|
Southport
|
NC
|
Duke Energy Progress
|
late February
|
|
4
|
Davis Besse
|
Oak Harbor
|
OH
|
First Energy
|
Late February
|
|
5
|
Byron
|
Byron
|
IL
|
Exelon
|
Early March
|
|
6
|
Nine Mile
|
Oswego
|
NY
|
Exelon
|
Early March
|
|
7
|
Vogtle
|
Augusta
|
GA
|
Southern Nuclear Operating Co.
|
Early March
|
|
8
|
South Texas Project
|
Wadsworth
|
TX
|
STP Nuclear Operating Co.
|
Early March
|
|
9
|
Arkansas Nuclear One
|
Russellville
|
AR
|
Entergy
|
Early March
|
|
10
|
Point Beach
|
Two Rivers
|
WI
|
NextEra (FPL)
|
Early March
|
|
11
|
Salem
|
Hancocks Bridge
|
NJ
|
PSEG
|
Early March
|
|
12
|
Fermi
|
Frenchtown Charter Twp.
|
MI
|
DTE Energy
|
Mid March
|
|
13
|
McGuire
|
Huntersville
|
NC
|
Duke Energy
|
Mid March
|
|
14
|
Susquehanna
|
Berwick
|
PA
|
Talen Energy
|
Mid March
|
|
15
|
Sequoyah
|
Soddy Daisy
|
TN
|
Tennessee Valley Authority
|
Late March
|
|
16
|
Beaver Valley
|
Shippingport
|
PA
|
FirstEnergy
|
Late March
|
|
17
|
Limerick
|
Pottstown
|
PA
|
Exelon
|
Late March
|
|
18
|
Quad Cities
|
Cordova
|
IL
|
Exelon
|
Late March
|
|
19
|
Turkey Point
|
Florida City
|
FL
|
Florida Power & Light
|
Late March
|
|
20
|
Seabrook
|
Seabrook
|
NH
|
NextEra Energy
|
Early April
|
|
21
|
Salem
|
Hancocks Bridge
|
NJ
|
PSEG
|
Early April
|
|
22
|
Palo Verde
|
Tonopah
|
AZ
|
Arizona Public Service Company
|
Early April
|
|
23
|
Comanche Peak
|
Glen Rose
|
TX
|
Luminant
|
Early April
|
|
24
|
Ginna
|
Ontario
|
NY
|
Exelon
|
Early April
|
|
25
|
Oconee
|
Seneca
|
SC
|
Duke Energy
|
Early April
|
|
26
|
VC Summer
|
Jenkinsville
|
SC
|
Dominion Energy
|
Early April
|
|
27
|
Millstone
|
Waterford
|
CT
|
Dominion Energy
|
Early April
|
|
28
|
Braidwood
|
Braceville
|
IL
|
Exelon
|
Mid April
|
|
29
|
Watts Bar
|
Spring City
|
TN
|
Tennessee Valley Authority
|
Mid April
|
|
30
|
Catawba
|
York
|
SC
|
Duke Energy
|
Early May
|
|
31
|
Surry
|
Surry
|
VA
|
Dominion Energy
|
Early May
|
|
32
|
Indian Point
|
Buchanan
|
NY
|
Entergy
|
Early May
|
|
33
|
Palisades
|
Covert
|
MI
|
Entergy
|
Late August
|
|
34
|
North Anna
|
Mineral
|
VA
|
Dominion Energy
|
Early September
|
|
35
|
Robinson
|
Hartsville
|
SC
|
Duke Energy Progress
|
Early September
|
|
36
|
Vogtle
|
Augusta
|
GA
|
Southern Nuclear Operating Co.
|
Early September
|
|
37
|
Fitzpatrick
|
Oswego
|
NY
|
Exelon
|
Early September
|
|
38
|
Prairie Island
|
Welch
|
MN
|
Northern States Power
|
Early September
|
|
39
|
DC Cook
|
Bridgman
|
MI
|
AEP
|
Mid September
|
|
40
|
McGuire
|
Huntersville
|
NC
|
Duke Energy
|
Mid September
|
|
41
|
Cooper
|
Brownville
|
NE
|
Nebraska Public Power District
|
Mid September
|
|
42
|
Waterford
|
Killona
|
LA
|
Entergy
|
Mid September
|
|
43
|
Point Beach
|
Two Rivers
|
WI
|
NextEra (FPL)
|
Early October
|
|
44
|
Salem
|
Hancocks Bridge
|
NJ
|
PSEG
|
Early October
|
|
45
|
Palo Verde
|
Tonopah
|
AZ
|
Arizona Public Service Company
|
Early October
|
|
46
|
Browns Ferry
|
Athens
|
AL
|
Tennessee Valley Authority
|
Early October
|
|
47
|
Diablo Canyon
|
Avila Beach
|
CA
|
Pacific Gas & Electric
|
Early October
|
|
48
|
Callaway
|
Fulton
|
MO
|
Ameren
|
Early October
|
|
49
|
Byron
|
Byron
|
IL
|
Exelon
|
Early October
|
|
50
|
Turkey Point
|
Florida City
|
FL
|
Florida Power & Light
|
Early October
|
|
51
|
Farley
|
Dothan
|
AL
|
Southern Nuclear Operating Co.
|
Early October
|
|
52
|
Comanche Peak
|
Glen Rose
|
TX
|
Luminant
|
Early October
|
|
53
|
Peach Bottom
|
Delta
|
PA
|
Exelon
|
Mid October
|
|
54
|
Millstone
|
Waterford
|
CT
|
Dominion Energy
|
Mid October
|
|
55
|
Watts Bar
|
Spring City
|
TN
|
Tennessee Valley Authority
|
Mid October
|
|
56
|
Duane Arnold
|
Palo
|
IA
|
NextEra Energy
|
Late October
|
As of March 25, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), 13 of the U.S.’s 96 commercial nuclear reactors were offline for refueling outages: Indian Point 3, Nine Mile Point 1, Susquehanna 2, Browns Ferry 2, Brunswick 2, McGuire 1, North Anna 2, Turkey Point 4, Vogtle 2, D.C. Cook 1, Perry 1, Point Beach 1, and Quad Cities 1. At least five others were coasting down in preparation for refueling outages: Limerick 2, Salem 1, Byron 2, Monticello, and Comanche Peak 1.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA), which compiles data from the NRC into a useful interactive map that shows the status of U.S. nuclear outages, noted that 16.9% of total U.S. nuclear capacity—about 17 GW of the total 100 GW—was offline as of March 25.
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