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Data for 2010  |  Release Date: April 26, 2012  |  Next Release: February 2013  |   full report

Pennsylvania Nuclear Profile 2010 Pennsylvania profile

Pennsylvania total electric power industry, summer capacity and net generation, by energy source, 2010  
Primary energy source Summer capacity
(mw)		 Share of State total
(percent)		 Net generation
(thousand mwh)		 Share of State total
(percent)
Nuclear 9,540 20.9 77,828 33.9
Coal 18,481 40.6 110,369 48.0
Hydro and Pumped Storage 2,268 5.0 1,624 0.7
Natural Gas 9,415 20.7 33,718 14.7
Other 1 100 0.2 1,396 0.6
Other Renewable1 1,237 2.7 4,245 1.8
Petroleum 4,534 9.9 571 0.2
Total 45,575 100.0 229,752 100.0
1Municipal Solid Waste net generation is allocated according to the biogenic and non-biogenic components of the fuel; however, all Municipal Solid Waste summer capacity is classified as Renewable.
Notes: Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding.
Other: Blast furnace gas, propane gas, other manufactured and waste gases derived from fossil fuels, non-biogenic municipal solid waste, batteries, chemicals, hydrogen, pitch, purchased steam, sulfur, tire-derived fuel, and miscellaneous technologies.
Other Renewable: Wood, black liquor, other wood waste, biogenic municipal solid waste, landfill gas, sludge waste, agriculture byproducts, other biomass, geothermal, solar thermal, photovoltaic energy, and wind.
Sources: Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator Report," and Form EIA-923, "Power Plant Operations Report."
Pennsylvania nuclear power plants, summer capacity and net generation, 2010  
Plant name/total reactors Summer capacity
(mw)		 Net generation
(thousand mwh)		 Share of State nuclear
net generation (percent)		 Owner
Beaver Valley
Unit 1, Unit 2		 1,777 14,994 19.3 FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company
Limerick
Unit 1, Unit 2		 2,264 18,926 24.3 Exelon Nuclear
PPL Susquehanna
Unit 1, Unit 2		 2,450 18,516 23.8 PPL Susquehanna LLC
Peach Bottom
Unit 2, Unit 3		 2,244 18,759 24.1 Exelon Nuclear
Three Mile Island
Unit 1		 805 6,634 8.5 Exelon Nuclear
5 Plants
9 Reactors		 9,540 77,828 100.0  
Note: Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding.
Source: Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator Report," and Form EIA-923, "Power Plant Operations Report."

Plants in State

Beaver Valley Nuclear Plant 
Unit Summer capacity
(mw)		 Net generation
(thousand mwh)		 Summer capacity factor (percent) Type Commercial operation date License expiration date
1 892 7,119 91.1 PWR 10/1/1976 1/29/2036
2 885 7,874 101.6 PWR 11/17/1987 5/27/2047
  1,777 14,994 96.3      
Data for 2010
PWR = Pressurized Light Water Reactor.
Note: Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding.
Source: Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator Report," and Form EIA-923, "Power Plant Operations Report."

Operator: FirstEnergy Corp.

Location and Service Territory: Beaver Valley Power Station is located on the Shippingport site covering nearly 500 acres in western Pennsylvania. Beaver Valley Power Station serves customers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Construction Cost: $8.520 billion (2007 USD)2

Reactor Descriptions: Both units are Westinghouse three-loop pressurized water reactors.

Cooling System: The Beaver Valley facility is cooled by two natural draft cooling towers that draw water from the Ohio River.

Limerick Nuclear Power Plant 
Unit Summer capacity
(mw)		 Net generation
(thousand mwh)		 Summer capacity factor (percent) Type Commercial operation date License expiration date
1 1,130 9,047 91.4 BWR 2/1/1986 10/26/2024
2 1,134 9,879 99.4 BWR 1/8/1990 6/22/2029
  2,264 18,926 95.4      
Data for 2010
BWR = Boiling Water Reactor.
Note: Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding.
Source: Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator Report," and Form EIA-923, "Power Plant Operations Report."

Operator: Exelon Generation

Location and Service Territory: The Limerick plant is located on a 600-acre site in Limerick Township, Montgomery County.

Construction Cost: Unit 1 cost $7.246 billion (2007 USD). Cost data for unit 2 is not available. 2

Staffing: Approximately 700 employees

Reactor Descriptions: Limerick has two General Electric Type 4 boiling water reactors.

Cooling System: Limerick draws water from the nearby Schuylkill River for its twin natural draft cooling towers. The height of the cooling towers is 507 feet.

Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plant 
Unit Summer capacity
(mw)		 Net generation
(thousand mwh)		 Summer capacity factor (percent) Type Commercial operation date License expiration date
1 1,122 9,000 91.6 BWR 7/5/1974 8/8/2033
2 1,112 9,759 99.3 BWR 12/23/1974 7/2/2034
  2,244 18,759 95.4      
Data for 2010
BWR = Boiling Water Reactor.
Note: Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding.
Source: Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator Report," and Form EIA-923, "Power Plant Operations Report."

Operator: Exelon Generation

Location and Service Territory: The Peach Bottom plant is located on a 620-acre site on the Susquehanna River, near the state capitol at Harrisburg.

Construction Cost: $2.943 billion (2007 USD)2

Staffing: Peach Bottom has about 800 employees, not including contractors.

Reactor Descriptions: Both of the units are General Electric Type 4 boiling water reactors.

Cooling System: Peach Bottom relies on a cooling system assisted by mechanical draft cooling towers that draw water from the Susquehanna River.

PPL Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant 
Unit Summer capacity
(mw)		 Net generation
(thousand mwh)		 Summer capacity factor (percent) Type Commercial operation date License expiration date
1 1,260 8,294 75.1 BWR 6/8/1983 7/17/2042
2 1,190 10,221 98.1 BWR 2/12/1985 3/23/2044
  2,450 18,516 86.3      
Data for 2010
BWR = Boiling Water Reactor.
Note: Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding.
Source: Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator Report," and Form EIA-923, "Power Plant Operations Report."

Operator: PPL Susquehanna, LLC

Location and Service Territory: The 1,075-acre plant site is near Berwick, Pennsylvania, in Luzerne County.

Construction Cost: $7.983 billion (2007 USD)2

Staffing: The plant has about 1,100 employees working on site and another 170 employees in Allentown, Pennsylvania. During refueling, up to 2,000 workers may be on location.

Reactor Descriptions: Susquehanna has two General Electric Type 4 boiling water reactors.

Cooling System: The cooling system uses a natural draft cooling tower and draws water from the Susquehanna River.

Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant 
Unit Summer Capacity
(MW)		 Net Generation
(Thousand MWh)		 Summer Capacity Factor (Percent) Type Commercial Operation Date License Expiration Date
1 805 5,889 83.5 PWR 9/2/1974 4/19/2034
  805 5,889 83.5      
Data for 2010
PWR = Pressurized Light Water Reactor.
Note: Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding.
Source: Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator Report," and Form EIA-923, "Power Plant Operations Report."

Operator: Exelon Generation

Location and Service Territory: The Three Mile Island station is located on 814 acres of an island near the state capital at Harrisburg.

Construction Cost: $1.557 billion (2007 USD)2

Staffing: Three Mile Island employs approximately 520 people, not including full-time contractors.

Reactor Descriptions: The two-loop, pressurized water reactor was built by Babcock & Wilcox and holds 177 fuel assemblies.

Cooling System: Cooling water is drawn from the Susquehanna River and evaporated via a natural draft cooling tower.

2Nuclear Power Plant Construction Activity, DOE/EIA-0473(86), Energy Information Administration, 1986, pp 16-17, Table 5. Adjusted to 2007 Dollars using Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index.

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