Illinois’ Nuclear Plants Operated at Full Power Through Hottest Month Ever Recorded
August 24 2021 - 11:17AM
Business Wire
Illinois’ nuclear stations provided
around-the-clock, carbon-free electricity to 11 million homes and
businesses during hottest July on record
As the world recorded its hottest month on record in July,
Exelon Generation’s Illinois nuclear plants again operated at full
power levels producing enough carbon-free electricity to keep air
conditioners running and more than 11 million homes and businesses
cool.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration called July
the hottest month since it began record keeping 142 years ago.
Several hot weather alerts calling for maximum electricity
generation in Illinois were issued by grid operators PJM and MISO
during that time, and Exelon’s Illinois nuclear fleet answered the
call, delivering 99 percent reliability in June and 99.9 percent in
July.
"Our nuclear facilities are among the most reliable power plants
in the country, and we know how important it is for them to be
available during extremely hot weather conditions like we’ve
experienced recently across Illinois," said Shane Marik, Senior
Vice President for Midwest Operations, Exelon Generation. "I thank
our hard-working nuclear employees for ensuring our fleet continues
delivering carbon-free energy to Illinois residents, keeping our
air clean and protecting customers from extreme heat.”
Exelon’s Illinois nuclear fleet regularly provides near-perfect
reliability, one of many indicators that industry experts use to
rate efficiency and performance. During the hottest months of 2019
and 2020, Illinois nuclear reactors also operated 98.9 percent and
99.2 percent of the time respectively.
During the hottest summer days and coldest winter nights, Exelon
Generation's nuclear fleet has been critical to meeting peak
electricity demand in Illinois. Having Illinois’ nuclear fleet
available during times of peak demand means the system does not
need to rely as much on fossil plants when the temperature spikes,
avoiding harmful air pollution that disproportionately affects
communities of color and low-income communities.
Summer resiliency and reliability requires year-long planning,
preparation, and maintenance. This spring, operators and
maintenance personnel performed thousands of inspections, tests,
and equipment repairs at each of the nuclear sites to ensure plant
systems would remain available during some of the most critical
times of the year.
While customers in California and the Pacific Northwest have
been asked to conserve energy this summer to prevent blackouts,
Northern Illinois residents know they can rely on uninterrupted
power due to the baseload reliability of nuclear plants, which has
kept energy prices in Northern Illinois lower than any other PJM
zone over the last decade.
Illinois is home to six nuclear power plants that are unmatched
in their ability to deliver world class reliability with zero
greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nation’s Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change issued a blistering climate report two
weeks ago warning that global temperatures could rise 1.5 degrees
by 2040, exposing Europe and North America to even harsher weather
conditions if global carbon emissions aren’t reduced. Illinois’
nuclear plants avoid 65 million metric tons of carbon emissions
every year.
Exelon’s Illinois nuclear fleet produces more than 50 percent of
the state’s electricity and includes: Braidwood Generating Station
in Will County, Byron Generating Station in Ogle County, Clinton
Power Station in DeWitt County, Dresden Generating Station in
Grundy County, LaSalle County Generating Station, and Quad Cities
Generating in Rock Island County.
Exelon Generation, a subsidiary of Exelon
Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), is the nation’s largest producer of
carbon-free energy, powering more than 20 million homes and
businesses through a diverse generation fleet with approximately
30,000 megawatts of capacity. Exelon Generation owns and operates
the largest U.S. fleet of zero-carbon nuclear plants with more than
17,800 megawatts from 21 reactors at 12 facilities in Illinois,
Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania. It also owns and operates a
diverse mix of wind, solar, hydroelectric, natural gas and oil
facilities in 18 states with approximately 12,000 megawatts. Exelon
Generation sets the standard for world-class power plant operations
that produce clean, safe, reliable electricity, 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 YouTube channel or visit
exeloncorp.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210824005658/en/
Brett Nauman Exelon Generation Communications 309-433-6894
brett.nauman@exeloncorp.com
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