WARRENVILLE, Ill., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Exelon Nuclear produced 131.4 billion kilowatt hours in 2006, the most electricity ever produced by the nation's largest fleet of nuclear energy plants. The total power produced is enough electricity to continuously power more than 16 million typical American households. It was the fourth consecutive year that Exelon has set a new generation record for a U.S. fleet. The previous record was 130.4 billion kilowatt-hours, established in 2005. Also in 2006, Exelon Nuclear: -- Finished the year with a 93.9 percent average fleet capacity factor -- despite 10 refueling outages -- the second highest capacity factor ever recorded by the fleet. The record was set in 2001 at 94.4 percent (the national average in 2005 was 89.1 percent, based on the most recent data available). Capacity factor refers to the ratio of electricity actually produced by a generating facility compared to the amount it could theoretically produce running at full power with no interruptions. -- Refueled 10 of its 17 reactors in an average of 23.7 days, compared to a 2005 national average of 39 days. -- Set a fleet capacity factor record during critical summer months, when demand for power is highest, at 98.1 percent. The previous record was 97.3 percent, set a year earlier. The reliability of Exelon's nuclear plants was especially important in 2006 as both of Exelon's energy delivery systems set all-time records for peak electricity usage (ComEd in Illinois -- 23,605 megawatts on Aug. 1; PECO in Pennsylvania -- 8,932 megawatts on Aug. 3). The summer measuring period is June 1 to Aug. 31. -- Recorded the best worker safety record in the company's history: 14 workplace injuries among 6,800 full-time employees in 2006. "It's easy to get lost in statistics, but these numbers mean simply that good nuclear operations and safety go hand in hand," Exelon Nuclear President and Chief Nuclear Officer Chris Crane said. "These results also demonstrate one of the most important truths of nuclear energy today: it can be relied upon to safely deliver large amounts of electricity all the time, including during those periods when reliable power supply is critical." Exelon Nuclear operates 17 nuclear generating units at 10 locations in Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and is the nation's largest operator of commercial nuclear energy plants. Exelon Nuclear accounts for about 17 percent of America's nuclear generation and 2 percent of all electricity produced in the United States. Exelon Corporation is one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately 5.2 million customers and more than $15 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry's largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.2 million customers in northern Illinois and Pennsylvania and natural gas to more than 470,000 customers in southeastern Pennsylvania. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC. DATASOURCE: Exelon Nuclear CONTACT: Craig Nesbit, Director, Communications, Exelon, +1-630-657-4208 Web site: http://www.exeloncorp.com/

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