Exelon Nuclear is headquartered in Warrenville, Ill., and is a business unit of Exelon Corporation. It operates the largest nuclear fleet in the nation and the third largest fleet in the world. Exelon’s ten stations – with 17 reactors – represent approximately 20 percent of the U.S. nuclear industry’s power capacity.
Charles "Chip" Pardee is the Chief Nuclear Officer and Senior Vice President, Exelon Generation. He leads Exelon Nuclear’s 17 generating units, which produced a record of 132.3 million net megawatt-hours of electricity in 2007. The fleet also achieved an average capacity factor of 94.5 percent, the seventh year in a row the capacity factor was more than 92 percent.
Safety and environmental statistics at Exelon Nuclear plants increased along with production in 2007. The 10 plants recorded their lowest industrial safety accident rate and number of unplanned shutdowns ever.
At the same time, the plants prevented 121 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by eliminating the need for an equivalent amount of coal-based generation.
When compared with natural gas generation, Exelon Nuclear prevented the release of 63 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. The carbon avoided by the Exelon Nuclear fleet in 2007 is equivalent to the emissions of more than 23 million passenger cars, nearly double the number of cars in Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey combined.
Also in 2007, Exelon Nuclear:
• Announced its intention to file an application for a combined construction and operating license for a possible new plant in southeast Texas. The application is to be filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Sept. 2008, although Exelon has not decided to build a plant.
• In March became the first nuclear operator to receive an Early Site Permit from the NRC for possible new plant construction. The permit reserves a site at the Clinton Power Station for up to 20 years for new construction should Exelon Nuclear decide to build a plant there.
• Saw half of its boiling water reactors named among the top power producing reactors of that design worldwide. Exelon Nuclear operates 12 of the world's 92 boiling water reactors.
There are about 6,900 nuclear professionals working in Exelon Nuclear. Whether serving at a site or at Exelon Nuclear headquarters, these professionals implement industry best practices to ensure safe, reliable operation throughout the fleet.
Exelon Nuclear has met or exceeded all security measures mandated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for nuclear plants after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. The measures include altered or new physical barriers, increased security personnel, training enhancements and additional surveillance equipment. For more information about the nuclear industry, here are some useful links: