OSWEGO, N.Y. — As Winter Storm Grayson pounded the East Coast with high winds, bone-chilling temperatures and historic power demands, Exelon Generation’s Upstate New York nuclear facilities, including R.E. Ginna, Nine Mile Point and FitzPatrick, operated at 100 percent power, delivering critical electricity to more than three million homes and businesses during near-record levels of demand for power.
Similar to the Polar Vortex, Winter Storm Grayson caused massive spikes in electricity demand. According to the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the highest demand during the storm reached 25,081 megawatts on Jan. 5, approaching NYISO’s record winter peak demand of 25,738 megawatts, which was set on Jan. 7, 2017. During the Polar Vortex of 2014, Exelon Generation’s nuclear fleet operated at 95 percent capacity.
“Our performance this past week helps demonstrate nuclear power’s reliability and resiliency nationally,” said Chief Nuclear Officer Bryan Hanson. “Millions of people count on the electricity our nuclear facilities provide, in homes, businesses, schools and hospitals, so we prepare for winter all year long to meet our reliability commitments.”
All 14 Exelon Generation nuclear facilities operate more than 90 percent of the time, even though the reactors are taken offline for refueling outages every 18 to 24 months. With on-site fuel and 18- to 24-month operating cycles, Exelon Generation’s nuclear plants don’t face fuel availability or delivery problems in inclement weather.
Winter resiliency and reliability requires year-long planning, preparation and maintenance. Exelon Generation workers spend months ensuring that backup generators and spare equipment is ready for inclement weather. This fall, operators and maintenance personnel inspected freeze protection systems, tested electrical equipment, and properly aligned plant systems to prepare all Exelon Generation facilities for sub-zero temperatures, icy conditions and heavy snowfall. These efforts are in addition to the many equipment upgrades and “winter readiness” maintenance activities performed during refueling outages.
