Latest Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Stories

BERWICK, Pa., May 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Operators at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant disconnected Unit 1 from the regional power grid early Thursday (5/9) at the start of a scheduled outage to install turbine modifications. The modifications are the first phase of a long-term plan that is expected to resolve the turbine blade issues that have affected plant operations in recent years. "Our conservative approach to resolve the issue by carefully monitoring blade performance...

BERWICK, Pa., Dec. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Unit 2 at the PPL Susquehanna nuclear power plant resumed generating electricity for the power grid Friday (12/28). The unit had been shut down since Dec. 16. An electrical connection problem caused an automatic shutdown during a routine, scheduled turbine valve test. An unrelated issue with the positioning of a valve on one of the unit's main water pumps during start-up activities extended the out-of-service time. "We have conducted a...

BERWICK, Pa., Dec. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Unit 2 at the PPL Susquehanna nuclear power plant automatically shut down early Sunday morning (12/16) during routine testing of a valve on the unit's main turbine system. Operators have confirmed all systems responded as expected and the reactor is in a safe and stable condition. Susquehanna employees are investigating why the testing caused the shutdown. "We regularly test and evaluate the condition of plant systems and equipment," said...

BERWICK, Pa., Nov. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Unit 2 at PPL Corporation's Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County, Pa., resumed generating electricity for the regional power grid safely and reliably on Monday (11/19) after completing a turbine blade inspection and repairing a computer system that malfunctioned on Nov. 9, causing operators to shut down the reactor. The previously announced turbine inspection revealed signs of cracking on a small number of blades. Those blades...

BERWICK, Pa., Nov. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Unit 1 at PPL Corporation's Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County, Pa., resumed generating electricity for the regional power grid safely and reliably on Wednesday (11/7) after completing a turbine blade inspection. The inspection found signs of cracking on a small number of turbine blades, confirming data from diagnostic equipment installed in the spring of 2012. Those blades were replaced. "The inspection was another step in...

BERWICK, Pa., June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Operators at the Susquehanna nuclear power plant performed a planned and controlled shutdown of the Unit 1 reactor Tuesday (6/19) morning to investigate the source of a minor water leak inside the containment structure that surrounds the reactor. "The leak does not affect the safety of the plant or the public," said Timothy S. Rausch, PPL's chief nuclear officer. "We made the prudent decision to shut down the unit while the leak is small...

BERWICK, Pa., Aug. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Unit 2 reactor at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant in northeastern Pennsylvania shut down automatically at 10:46 a.m. Friday (8/19). The unit was operating at full power at the time. The shutdown occurred during scheduled, routine equipment surveillance; the cause is under investigation. "The reactor shut down safely. All plant systems are operating as designed," said Timothy S. Rausch, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer for...

BERWICK, Pa., June 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With equipment and system upgrades completed during the recent scheduled refueling and maintenance outage, Unit 1 at PPL Corporation's Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County, Pa., is now the largest Boiling Water Reactor in terms of thermal power and generating capacity in the United States, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "PPL continues to invest in the future of the Susquehanna nuclear power plant with upgrades...

BERWICK, Pa., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For the second year in a row, PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County, Pa., has set a plant record for the amount of electricity generated. The plant safely and reliably generated 19,492,431 megawatt-hours in 2009, beating the previous record of 19,046,288 megawatt-hours set in 2008. The electricity generated by the Susquehanna plant in 2009 is enough to power about 2 million typical homes. Unit 1 at the plant also set its own...

BERWICK, Pa., Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a 20-year extension of the operating licenses for both reactors at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County, Pa. The license for Unit 1 has been extended to 2042; the license for Unit 2 has been extended to 2044. "We're pleased that the NRC continues to express confidence in our commitment to safely operate and maintain the plant for many years to come," said Tim Rausch, chief...