Legal & Regulatory

COVID-19 Threatens Outages Scheduled at 97% of U.S. Nuclear Sites in 2020

Challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. nuclear industry has asked the Trump administration to ensure nuclear workers, suppliers, and vendors will have access to nuclear plants and personal protective equipment (PPE) during the 2020 spring and fall refueling outage seasons and beyond. All but two of the nation’s nuclear sites had scheduled planned outages  this year, work that the generators consider crucial to keep the lights on. 

In a March 20 letter to Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) President and CEO Maria Korsnick noted nuclear reactors have a “unique requirement” to load a fresh batch of fuel once every 18 to 24 months. The event necessitates a shut down for two to four weeks during which intense work occurs, including critical maintenance.

Each plant typically brings in several hundred specialized workers for this work over a typical period of 30-60 days, which includes activities in advance of and following the outage. These workers typically stay in hotels or board with local families, and eat in restaurants,” Korsnick wrote. In the course of performing outages and in routine operations, nuclear plant workers also use PPE and supplies for radiological protection. As the COVID-19 pandemic intensifies, the industry will also require medical PPE and supplies to minimize its spread, she said.

Asked on March 26 whether the Trump administration has responded, and any immediate action can be anticipated, the NEI told POWER: “We continue to work with the Administration to address how best to support the industry and our workforce during this time. We know that nuclear power plant operation and continued electricity is critical to powering our hospitals and keeping the lights on in our homes and emergency centers.”

Planned Nuclear Refueling Outages in 2020

As the EIA notes, the U.S. has 58 commercially operating nuclear power plants with 96 nuclear reactors in 29 U.S. states. Of these nuclear plants, 32 plants have two reactors and 3 plants have three reactors. In 2020, some reactors at 56 of the nation’s 58 nuclear sites in 21 states—including several that have issued lockdown measures—planned to undergo refueling outages. At least 31 of the 58 sites had scheduled outages between mid-February and early May. The remaining 25 planned refueling outages between late August and late October.

The average U.S. refueling outage times have shortened in recent years—decreasing from an average of 46 days in 2012 to 32 days in 2019—owing in part to improved and planning and execution practices for refueling outages over the years, NEI told POWER. Of significant note is that the 2020 season is poised to be especially busy in part because planned nuclear generation outages are generally timed to coincide with a plant’s refueling cycle, it said. 

Table. Expected U.S. Nuclear Plant Refueling Outages in 2020. Courtesy: NEI

Plant

City

State

Company

Approx. Start

1

Browns Ferry

Athens

AL

Tennessee Valley Authority

Mid February

2

Grand Gulf

Port Gibson

MS

Entergy

Mid February

3

Brunswick

Southport

NC

Duke Energy Progress

late February

4

Davis Besse

Oak Harbor

OH

First Energy

Late February

5

Byron

Byron

IL

Exelon

Early March

6

Nine Mile

Oswego

NY

Exelon

Early March

7

Vogtle

Augusta

GA

Southern Nuclear Operating Co.

Early March

8

South Texas Project

Wadsworth

TX

STP Nuclear Operating Co.

Early March

9

Arkansas Nuclear One

Russellville

AR

Entergy

Early March

10

Point Beach

Two Rivers

WI

NextEra (FPL)

Early March

11

Salem

Hancocks Bridge

NJ

PSEG

Early March

12

Fermi

Frenchtown Charter Twp.

MI

DTE Energy

Mid March

13

McGuire

Huntersville

NC

Duke Energy

Mid March

14

Susquehanna

Berwick

PA

Talen Energy

Mid March

15

Sequoyah

Soddy Daisy

TN

Tennessee Valley Authority

Late March

16

Beaver Valley

Shippingport

PA

FirstEnergy

Late March

17

Limerick

Pottstown

PA

Exelon

Late March

18

Quad Cities

Cordova

IL

Exelon

Late March

19

Turkey Point

Florida City

FL

Florida Power & Light

Late March

20

Seabrook

Seabrook

NH

NextEra Energy

Early April

21

Salem

Hancocks Bridge

NJ

PSEG

Early April

22

Palo Verde

Tonopah

AZ

Arizona Public Service Company

Early April

23

Comanche Peak

Glen Rose

TX

Luminant

Early April

24

Ginna

Ontario

NY

Exelon

Early April

25

Oconee

Seneca

SC

Duke Energy

Early April

26

VC Summer

Jenkinsville

SC

Dominion Energy

Early April

27

Millstone

Waterford

CT

Dominion Energy

Early April

28

Braidwood

Braceville

IL

Exelon

Mid April

29

Watts Bar

Spring City

TN

Tennessee Valley Authority

Mid April

30

Catawba

York

SC

Duke Energy

Early May

31

Surry

Surry

VA

Dominion Energy

Early May

32

Indian Point

Buchanan

NY

Entergy

Early May

33

Palisades

Covert

MI

Entergy

Late August

34

North Anna

Mineral

VA

Dominion Energy

Early September

35

Robinson

Hartsville

SC

Duke Energy Progress

Early September

36

Vogtle

Augusta

GA

Southern Nuclear Operating Co.

Early September

37

Fitzpatrick

Oswego

NY

Exelon

Early September

38

Prairie Island

Welch

MN

Northern States Power

Early September

39

DC Cook

Bridgman

MI

AEP

Mid September

40

McGuire

Huntersville

NC

Duke Energy

Mid September

41

Cooper

Brownville

NE

Nebraska Public Power District

Mid September

42

Waterford

Killona

LA

Entergy

Mid September

43

Point Beach

Two Rivers

WI

NextEra (FPL)

Early October

44

Salem

Hancocks Bridge

NJ

PSEG

Early October

45

Palo Verde

Tonopah

AZ

Arizona Public Service Company

Early October

46

Browns Ferry

Athens

AL

Tennessee Valley Authority

Early October

47

Diablo Canyon

Avila Beach

CA

Pacific Gas & Electric

Early October

48

Callaway

Fulton

MO

Ameren

Early October

49

Byron

Byron

IL

Exelon

Early October

50

Turkey Point

Florida City

FL

Florida Power & Light

Early October

51

Farley

Dothan

AL

Southern Nuclear Operating Co.

Early October

52

Comanche Peak

Glen Rose

TX

Luminant

Early October

53

Peach Bottom

Delta

PA

Exelon

Mid October

54

Millstone

Waterford

CT

Dominion Energy

Mid October

55

Watts Bar

Spring City

TN

Tennessee Valley Authority

Mid October

56

Duane Arnold

Palo

IA

NextEra Energy

Late October

 

As of March 25, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), 13 of the U.S.’s 96 commercial nuclear reactors were offline for refueling outages: Indian Point 3, Nine Mile Point 1, Susquehanna 2, Browns Ferry 2, Brunswick 2, McGuire 1, North Anna 2, Turkey Point 4, Vogtle 2, D.C. Cook 1, Perry 1, Point Beach 1, and Quad Cities 1. At least five others were coasting down in preparation for refueling outages: Limerick 2, Salem 1, Byron 2, Monticello, and Comanche Peak 1.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA), which compiles data from the NRC into a useful interactive map that shows the status of U.S. nuclear outages, noted that 16.9% of total U.S. nuclear capacity—about 17 GW of the total 100 GW—was offline as of March 25.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides a useful interactive graphic that shows the current and historic status of U.S. nuclear capacity and outages. This graphic is from March 25, as the industry prepared for several refueling outages scheduled for this spring. According to this data, nuclear plants that were in full outage mode are: Grand Gulf in Mississippi, Fermi in Michigan, and Davis Besse in Ohio, while Harris in North Carolina was operating at only 8%.  Source: EIA

A Compounding  Crisis

The NEI said that across the nuclear fleet precautions are being taken to limit the risks of COVID-19. Among the actions are:

  • Directing employees who don’t feel well to stay home, encouraging them to seek medical attention, and asking for a report on their condition;
  • Excluding personnel who have recently been in countries impacted by the virus;
  • Screening of employees, contractors, and any necessary visitors at the plant gate and, at some
    plants, taking their temperature;
  • Disinfecting surfaces more often;
  • Closing or limiting access to cafeterias and other places employees congregate; and
  • Increasing the number of hand-washing facilities.

Because refueling outages are so critical to the safe and reliable operations of nuclear power plants, the Trump administration should consider several actions that would immediately benefit nuclear owners, operators, and vendors, Korsnick said.

For one, she urged Brouillette to ensure that federal designation of essential workers include workers that support nuclear operations. The Trump administration’s March 19–issued initial list of “essential critical infrastructure workers” broadly includes “workers needed for safe and secure operations at nuclear generation,” but it does not specify whether the extensive list of specialized contract workers needed for outage work are qualified.

Korsnick also urged the administration to allow “unfettered” travel to plants for the performance of essential outage activities. Noting that the workforce is sometimes sourced abroad, she also asked it to “permit international workers who perform highly specialized functions to travel into the U.S. and establish protocols immediately to enable their safe entry.”

To accommodate workers, she also urged the administration to keep open hotel and food services. Finally, she asked for priority for PPE, specifically asking for surgeons’ gloves, sanitized wipes, dust masks, and disposable thermometers—as well as COVID-19 testing kits, and necessary radiological and medical protective equipment and supplies for nuclear workers.

A Generator’s Perspective

At Exelon Generation—which embarked on refueling outages at Byron 1 on March 9, Nine Mile Point 2 on March 5, Calvert Cliffs 1 on Feb. 17, and LaSalle 1 on Feb. 10—work appears to continue as scheduled. “Exelon Generation’s highly trained nuclear employees and skilled contractors understand the critical role that Exelon Generation’s nuclear facilities play in powering hospitals, regional response centers and millions of homes and essential businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic—and they are prepared to meet the challenge,” the company told POWER on March 26.

The work is crucial because the company’s nuclear facilities run at full power more than 95% of the time and its fixed fuel contracts allow it to operate a unit between 18 months and two years without stopping to refuel, it explained.

At Byron 1 in Illinois, more than 1,200 supplemental workers joined the 800 Exelon Generation employees in prepping the facility for another reliable run, the company said. Workers arrived several weeks before the outage and some will remain when it is complete. At Nine Mile 1 in New York, 1,300 workers arrived onsite “from outside the area.” About 1,000 additional workers were onsite at Calvert Cliffs 1 in Maryland, and another 1,000 workers went to LaSalle 1 southwest of Chicago.

“We are closely following CDC guidance at all our generating facilities to prevent the spread of germs and viruses. We are also limiting travel; minimizing personal contact; encouraging remote-enabled employees to work from home, encouraging frequent hand washing and scheduling additional facility cleanings,” Exelon said.

However, it is also working to ensure employees and contractors supporting the projects “are subject to additional precautions due to the number of people required to support refueling outage and maintenance activities.”

Exelon said that prior to entry, “each person must complete a rigorous self-screening for signs of fever or respiratory issues before reporting to work. Any employees and contractors that experience any flu-like symptoms, are being instructed not to enter our facilities and to seek offsite medical evaluation. We also have medical professionals staffing our outage facilities around-the-clock to closely monitor employee health.”

Sourcing outage workers, which can pose a challenge even during ordinary outage seasons, has this year especially benefitted from employee determination, the company suggested. “Our employees understand the importance of providing reliable, baseload, carbon-free energy to the community, and are rallying to support our stations and take additional precautions to protect themselves, along with their coworkers, families and communities.” Exelon, meanwhile, is doing all it can to ensure work goes on, underscoring its role as a provider of critical resources. “We have robust plans and contingencies to ensure business continuity,” it said.

Sonal Patel is a POWER senior associate editor (@sonalcpatel, @POWERmagazine).

Updated (March 27): Adds comments from NEI and Exelon Generation.

Clarification (March 30): Work is scheduled at 56 of the 58 nuclear sites in the U.S., not 97% of the total nuclear fleet. This is an important clarification because there are 58 commercially operating nuclear power plants with 96 nuclear reactors in 29 U.S. states. Of these nuclear plants, 32 plants have two reactors and 3 plants have three reactors. To reflect this clarification, the headline changes “plants” to “sites.” 

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