BYRON, Ill. — The city of Byron’s population jumped by a third this week as more than 1,400 temporary workers traveled to the area in support of Byron Generating Station’s annual refueling outage. Operators removed Unit 1 from service to inspect, refuel and upgrade the nuclear energy plant to ensure continued safety and reliability during the winter months ahead.
Byron’s refueling and maintenance outage is one of three planned this fall, including a Unit 2 outage at Braidwood Generating Station in Braceville, Ill., and a Unit 3 outage at Dresden Generating Station in Morris, Ill. These outages will add 4,200 temporary jobs and infuse millions of dollars into the Illinois economy.
"Exelon’s fall outages support more than a thousand electricians, pipe fitters, welders, laborers and other contractors,” said Stacy McCaskill, director, Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Sauk Valley Community College. “This influx of people and purchasing makes small-town businesses thrive. We are so thankful for Exelon's support of our Illinois SBDC so that we can continue helping small business serve the needs of Exelon's hardworking employees.”
“The extra workers in town for the outage give our businesses an added boost to their bottom line,” said Oregon Mayor Ken Williams. “The timing works out very well with the outage lasting through September and then our annual ‘Autumn On Parade’ taking place Oct. 6-7. We hope many more visitors can enjoy our scenic area as we transition into fall.”
During the outage, the Unit 1 cooling tower will not produce any water vapor cloud. This is normal when a unit is taken offline.
Byron’s Unit 2 reactor will continue to supply carbon-free electricity to customers during the Unit 1 outage. With both units at full power, the site produces almost 2,500 megawatts, enough electricity to power more than 2 million average American homes. Byron Generating Station is in Ogle County, Ill., about 25 miles southwest of Rockford.
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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.
Apr 22, 2024
