The Dresden Generating Station’s Unit 2 nuclear reactor, southwest of Chicago, Illinois, went back on line last week and is fully operational.
Operators at the station systematically shut down Unit 2 on Feb. 6 after receiving notification of a power interruption within the unit’s water level control system. Once the reactor was shut down, plant personnel conducted additional maintenance that can't be completed while the reactor is running, including replacing four of the reactor’s relief valve actuators.
The reactor operates via steam, which is used to spin a turbine in order to create electricity. The reactor's condenser converts leftover steam back into water, which is then reused to create more steam.
The Dresden Generating Station’s two nuclear energy units can produce more than 1,900 megawatts at full power – enough carbon-free electricity to power more than 1.2 million typical homes.
The station’s private financer, Exelon, is one of the nation’s largest competitive power producers. Exelon’s utilities deliver electricity and natural gas to more than 7.8 million customers in central Maryland, northern Illinois and southeastern Pennsylvania.
Exelon Generation operates three nuclear power plants, 12 fossil power plants, two landfill gas plants and one pumped storage hydroelectric power plant in Illinois.
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