The LaSalle nuclear plant, near Seneca, Illinois, took Unit 1 offline late last week to replace seals on two of the pumps that circulate water into the reactor after the pumps began operating below acceptable standards.
The reactor had only returned to full power the day before, as it had been shut down for refuelling and maintenance. LaSalle has two reactors, and when they are at full power, the station can produce 2,300 megawatts of electricity, or the equivalent of the annual power usage of 2 million homes, with no carbon emissions.
Exelon Generation operates three nuclear power plants, 12 fossil power plants, two landfill gas plants and one pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in the state.
