Exelon Generation’s Pennsylvania Nuclear Plants Prove Resilient During Winter Storm Grayson
09 January 2018 - 11:00PM
Business Wire
All three facilities ran at nearly full
capacity as temperatures plummeted and demand for power soared to
historic levels
As Winter Storm Grayson pounded the East Coast with high winds,
bone-chilling temperatures and historic power demands, Exelon
Generation’s Pennsylvania nuclear plants continued to deliver
clean, reliable and affordable electricity to more than five
million homes and businesses. Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station,
Limerick Generating Station and Three Mile Island Unit 1 provided
critical grid reliability during two of the highest daily peak
demand periods ever recorded in the region.
Similar to the 2014 Polar Vortex, an extended cold snap that
pushed the PJM grid to the limit, Winter Storm Grayson caused
massive spikes in electricity demand. Exelon’s nuclear plants once
again demonstrated their ability to generate an abundant supply of
electricity when it’s needed most. Nuclear facilities are not
susceptible to fuel supply challenges, a common cause for plant
shutdowns during extreme weather events. Unlike other forms of
electricity production, nuclear plants have 18- to 24-months’ worth
of fuel in the reactor and don’t rely on pipelines or railroads to
keep running. This makes Pennsylvania’s nuclear plants critical to
ensuring the resilience of the electric grid.
“Our performance this past week helps demonstrate nuclear
power’s reliability and resiliency nationally,” said Chief Nuclear
Officer Bryan Hanson. “Millions of people count on the electricity
our nuclear facilities provide, in homes, businesses, schools and
hospitals, so we prepare for winter all year long to meet our
reliability commitments.”
According to PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator,
the storm generated the region’s highest winter electricity demand
since 2014, resulting in two of PJM’s all-time top 10 winter peak
demands: 136,125 megawatts on Jan. 3 and 136,206 on Jan. 5.
Winter resiliency and reliability requires year-long planning,
preparation and maintenance. Exelon Generation workers spend months
ensuring that backup generators and spare equipment are ready for
inclement weather. This fall, operators and maintenance personnel
inspected freeze protection systems, tested electrical equipment,
and properly aligned plant systems to prepare all Exelon Generation
facilities for sub-zero temperatures, icy conditions and heavy
snowfall. These efforts are in addition to the many equipment
upgrades and “winter readiness” maintenance activities performed
during refueling outages.
Exelon Generation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE:
EXC), is one of the largest, most efficient clean energy producers
in the U.S., with a generating capacity of more than 35,500
megawatts. Exelon Generation operates the largest U.S. fleet of
carbon-free nuclear plants with 20,300 megawatts of capacity from
23 reactors at 14 facilities in Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New
York and Pennsylvania. Exelon Generation also operates a diverse
mix of wind, solar, landfill gas, hydroelectric, natural gas and
oil facilities in 18 states with more than 15,200 megawatts. Exelon
Generation has an industry-leading safety record and is an active
partner and economic engine in the communities it serves by
providing jobs, charitable contributions and tax payments that help
towns and regions grow. Follow Exelon Generation on Twitter
@ExelonGen, view the Exelon Generation channel on YouTube, and
visit: http://www.exeloncorp.com/companies/exelon-generation.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180109005711/en/
Exelon Generation CommunicationsLacey Dean,
610-765-5530Lacey.dean@exeloncorp.com
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