MORRIS, Ill. (Nov. 18, 2016) – Dresden Generating Station Unit 3 reached full power at 11:55 a.m. today. Operators reconnected Unit 3 to the power grid on Nov. 16, marking the successful completion of a planned refueling outage that began Oct. 31.
During the outage, Exelon employees and supplemental workers replaced about one-third of the reactor’s fuel and performed more than 8,000 inspections, maintenance activities and equipment upgrades to ensure the unit’s safe and reliable operation during its next two-year operating cycle and beyond.
Nearly half of the state’s electricity is generated by Exelon’s six Illinois nuclear energy facilities. Dresden Station contributes approximately $25 million annually in property taxes to local taxing bodies – of which 75% goes to schools and library programs.
Dresden Generating Station is approximately 60 miles southwest of Chicago. The station’s two nuclear energy units can produce a total of more than 1,800 megawatts at full power – enough carbon-free electricity to power more than 1.2 million typical homes.