OSWEGO, NY –Operators removed Exelon Generation's James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant from service early Monday morning, beginning a planned refueling and maintenance outage that brings more than 1,500 additional workers to the region. The refueling outage will help ensure the plant runs safely and provides consistent, reliable power to the region for another two-year operating cycle.
During the outage, Exelon employees and supplemental workers will perform maintenance activities and replace nearly one-third of the reactor's fuel to keep the unit running safely and efficiently. Many of the more than 10,000 activities performed during the outage can only be accomplished when the plant is off-line.
To support this work, the plant will use the talents and expertise of 150 Exelon employees from around the fleet and 1,350 supplemental workers, many of whom travel to FitzPatrick from outside the area. The workers spend money at hotels, restaurants and other local businesses, providing a significant boost to the local economy.
"FitzPatrick's refueling outages help drive our local economy," said Shane Broadwell, chairman, Oswego County Legislature. "This community strongly supports FitzPatrick and we recognize that the clean, safe and reliable energy it produces is an important part of our nation's energy mix."
"Exelon Generation's continued investment in our plant and our people ensures safe, reliable operations," said FitzPatrick Site Vice President Joe Pacher. "Our employees are committed to meeting the region's energy needs through the hottest summer days and the coldest winter nights."
FitzPatrick was scheduled to shut down in January 2017 until Exelon Generation agreed to assume ownership and manage operations after the Clean Energy Standard (CES) was adopted in New York. The CES is credited with offsetting 16 million tons of carbon emissions annually, preserving 25,000 direct and indirect jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in investments in energy infrastructure. The economic benefits are especially visible during refueling outages when the plants bring in thousands of temporary staff.
The James A. FitzPatrick facility is located seven miles northeast of Oswego and 50 miles north of Syracuse. The 838-megawatt nuclear plant generates carbon-free electricity for more than 800,000 homes and businesses.
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Exelon Generation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), is one of the largest, most efficient clean energy producers in the U.S., with a generating capacity of more than 32,700 megawatts. Exelon Generation operates the largest U.S. fleet of carbon-free nuclear plants with 20,300 megawatts of capacity from 23 reactors at 14 facilities in Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Exelon Generation also operates a diverse mix of wind, solar, landfill gas, hydroelectric, natural gas and oil facilities in 17 states with more than 12,400 megawatts. Exelon Generation has an industry-leading safety record and is an active partner and economic engine in the communities it serves by providing jobs, charitable contributions and tax payments that help towns and regions grow. Follow Exelon Generation on Twitter @ExelonGen, view the Exelon Generation YouTube channel, and visit http://www.exeloncorp.com/companies/exelon-generation.
