All 3 units at TVA Ala. Browns Ferry reactor reduced

From Reuters:

 * All units reduced to maintain cooler river temperatures

 * Plants at reduced power until river temperatures moderate
 (Adds details on power reduction)

 NEW YORK, July 16 (Reuters) - All three units at the Tennessee Valley
Authority Browns Ferry nuclear power station in Alabama were reduced by
early Friday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in its power
reactor status report.

 A spokesman for TVA said all three units were reduced to "maintain
river temperature permit with the state of Alabama."

 There is a 90 degree, 24-hour downstream permit that the plants are not
allowed to exceed, said spokesman Jason Huffine.

 The units were at about 65 percent of capacity early Friday, after
being reduced to about half power overnight, and all three were expected to
remain at reduced power until the river temperatures moderate, Huffine
added.

 The Browns Ferry nuclear power plant consists of the 1,065-megawatt
Unit 1, the 1,104-MW Unit 2 and the 1,105-MW Unit 3.

 One MW powers about 500 homes in Alabama.
------------------------------------------------------------
PLANT BACKGROUND/TIMELINE
STATE:     Alabama
COUNTY:    Limestone
TOWN:      Decatur on the Wheeler Reservoir about 170 miles

        (273 km) north of Montgomery, the state capital
OPERATOR:  TVA
OWNER(S):  TVA
UNIT(S):   1 - 1,065-MW General Electric boiling water reactor

        2 - 1,104-MW GE boiling water reactor

        3 - 1,105-MW GE boiling water reactor
FUEL:      Nuclear
DISPATCH:  Baseload
COST:      $7 billion total capital cost as of end of fiscal

        2009
TIMELINE:  1966 -  TVA gets approval to build plant and starts

                construction

        1973 -  Unit 1 enters commercial service

        1974 -  Unit 2 enters commercial service

        1975 -  Unit 1 shut for a year due to fire damage

        1976 -  Unit 3 enters commercial service

        1985 -  TVA shuts plant due operational and

                management issues

        1991 -  Unit 2 returns to service

        1995 -  Unit 3 returns to service

        2002 -  TVA starts $1.8 billion project to restore

                Unit 1 to service         

        2006 -  NRC extends original 40-year operating

                license for an additional 20 years

        2007 -  Unit 1 returns to service

        2033 -  Unit 1 license to expire

        2034 -  Unit 2 license to expire

        2036 -  Unit 3 license to expire
 (Reporting by Eileen Moustakis; Editing by John Picinich)