LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK, N.J., April 23,
2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, PSEG Nuclear's Hope Creek
Generating Station marked another uninterrupted 18-month production
cycle and entered a planned refueling and maintenance outage after
operators safely removed the unit from the regional power grid.
Hope Creek is one of three nuclear units operated by PSEG
Nuclear in Salem County, New
Jersey. Collectively, the combined Salem and Hope Creek generating site produces
approximately 40% of the state's electricity and more than 90% of
its carbon-free energy, making it a critical component of
New Jersey's long-range clean
energy objectives and climate change efforts.
In terms of output and performance, Hope Creek continues to set
records and mark significant milestones in its 34th service year.
The station generated approximately 14.6 million megawatt-hours of
carbon-free electricity over the span of this most current 517-day
cycle, which rates second all-time in the unit's history. For
reliability and sustainability, PSEG Nuclear's three-unit
New Jersey fleet is ranked as an
industry leader for availability.
"For 517 consecutive days, Hope Creek produced clean, reliable,
carbon-free energy to the residents of New Jersey," PSEG Nuclear President and Chief
Nuclear Officer Eric Carr said. "Our
plants are performing at the highest levels in our history because
of the outstanding skills, dedication and teamwork of our
workforce. Our union and non-union employees work together, day in
and day out, to uphold an unwavering commitment to safety and
operational excellence, which is reflected in this
achievement."
A refueling and maintenance outage is a multi-week,
comprehensive process involving thousands of inspections,
surveillances and maintenance activities. In order to execute these
sophisticated tasks, approximately 1,000 additional trade workers —
representing more than a dozen unions — join the 1,600 PSEG
employees for day-to-day operations.
The Hope Creek refueling and maintenance outage is the third for
the PSEG nuclear fleet since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in
March 2020. To safeguard the welfare
of the 1,600 year-round, on-site employees and the supplemental
workforce contracted to perform specialty project assignments, PSEG
Nuclear maintains a host of health and safety strategies.
Personnel adhere to robust physical distancing and personal
protective equipment guidelines and uphold strict contact tracing
and health screening protocols. Additionally, the organization
implements deep cleaning and disinfecting techniques and has
committed to flexible remote work arrangements in order to limit
the number of personnel on-site.
Hundreds of contractors and craftspeople representing
approximately 10 trade unions work alongside the PSEG employees
during the maintenance and refueling outage. These individuals also
frequent area businesses and rely on local service providers for
the duration, having a significant impact on the local economy.
Benjamin Laury, chair,
Salem County Commissioners: "The
Salem and Hope Creek nuclear
plants are drivers of the South Jersey economy, and the members of
the PSEG Nuclear workforce are part of the fabric of Salem County. Twice a year, these maintenance
and refueling outages provide a boost to local businesses, and we
always look forward to welcoming these skilled tradespeople back to
our communities. PSEG's nuclear plants provide a foundation of
safe, reliable and carbon-free energy for millions of homes and
businesses throughout New Jersey,
and we're proud of their best-in-class performance."
Daniel Cosner, business
manager of IBEW Local 351 and president of the Southern New Jersey
Construction and Building Trades Council: "Nuclear energy plays a
vital role in meeting New Jersey's
electricity needs, protecting the environment, and preserving fuel
diversity. Our state's nuclear plants are responsible for
$1.2 billion in economic activity
every year and are an important source of steady, good-paying jobs
– including hundreds of workers who belong to labor unions like the
IBEW. Hope Creek's record-setting performance is a credit to the
skills and dedication of the entire workforce."
Bill Mullen, president of
the New Jersey Building & Construction Trades Council: "I'm
proud of our organization's 150,000 members and the role we play in
providing clean, safe and reliable electricity for millions of
New Jersey homes and businesses –
especially as we all work to recover from the impacts of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Nuclear energy creates jobs and opportunities
for local businesses, and contributes millions of dollars per year
in state and local taxes. New Jersey Building Trades workforce is
rightfully proud of its contributions to the state's green economy
and its clean energy efforts."
Scott Campell, president
and business manager, IBEW LU 94: "Together, the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear plants provide a
livelihood for 1,600 direct employees. Hundreds of these jobs
belong to union men and women, who serve in critical roles at the
plant. Nuclear energy is an economic workhorse for Salem County and the entire state of
New Jersey. And its benefits don't
stop there. Nuclear also is important for clean air, for a healthy
climate, and for the state's reliable, affordable electricity
supply – and our members are proud of the role they play in
providing these benefits."
Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PSEG) (NYSE: PEG) is a
publicly traded diversified energy company with approximately
13,000 employees. Headquartered in Newark, N.J., PSEG's principal operating
subsidiaries are: Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G),
PSEG Power and PSEG Long Island. PSEG is a Fortune 500 company
included in the S&P 500 Index and has been named to the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index for North
America for 13 consecutive years
(https://corporate.pseg.com).
Visit PSEG
at:
www.pseg.com
PSEG on Facebook
PSEG on Twitter
PSEG on LinkedIn
PSEG Energize!
From time to time, PSEG, PSE&G and PSEG Power release
important information via postings on their corporate Investor
Relations website at https://investor.pseg.com.
Investors and other interested parties are encouraged to visit the
Investor Relations website to review new postings. You can
sign up for automatic email alerts regarding new postings at the
bottom of the webpage at
https://investor.pseg.com.
CONTACTS:
|
|
Investor
Relations
|
Media
Relations
|
Carlotta
Chan
|
Marijke
Shugrue
|
973-430-6565
|
908-531-4253
|
Carlotta.Chan@pseg.com
|
Marijke.Shugrue@pseg.com
|
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SOURCE PSEG