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Byron Generating Station

Nuclear: An Ideal Foundation for Our Clean Energy Future

With iconic twin cooling towers overlooking Illinois' Rock River Valley, Byron Generating Station's two nuclear reactors can produce up to 2,347 megawatts (MW) of zero-emissions energy, enough carbon-free electricity to power more than two million homes.

In April 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a $2.5 million grant to Constellation and its project partners to explore the benefits of constructing direct air capture (DAC) technology at Byron Generating Station. While nuclear plants do not produce any carbon emissions, direct air capture would remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, a possible next-generation technology to help our nation combat the climate crisis. 

The DAC project at Byron Generating Station could capture 250,000 tons of CO2 each year, reducing global carbon emissions and helping to decarbonize energy intensive sectors of the economy. The study will also focus on the potential for a nuclear plant to become the center of a direct air carbon capture hub, partnering the DAC technology with storage of CO2 .

U.S. nuclear energy facilities are initially licensed to operate for 40 years and a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rule allows licensees to apply for extensions of up to 20 years after the initial 40-year term. Constellation submitted a license renewal application for this facility to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which was approved on November 19, 2015. With license renewal complete, Byron Generating Station Unit 1 is licensed through 2044, and Unit 2 is licensed through 2046.

Safety is Constellation’s first and most critical obligation. Nuclear power plants are among the best-protected private sector facilities in America, with monitoring and inspections by plant owners, local officials, and the federal government.

Learn more about the measures that we take to keep our employees, customers, and communities safe. 

We have been part of Byron, Illinois and its surrounding communities for more than three decades. We provide hundreds of well-paying jobs and millions of dollars in economic support, including about $38 million in taxes annually for schools, roads and other public services.

U.S. nuclear energy facilities are initially licensed to operate for 40 years and a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rule allows licensees to apply for extensions of up to 20 years after the initial 40-year term. Constellation submitted a license renewal application for this facility to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which was approved on November 19, 2015. With license renewal complete, Byron Generating Station Unit 1 is licensed through 2044, and Unit 2 is licensed through 2046.

Safety is Constellation’s first and most critical obligation. Nuclear power plants are among the best-protected private sector facilities in America, with monitoring and inspections by plant owners, local officials, and the federal government.

Learn more about the measures that we take to keep our employees, customers, and communities safe. 

We have been part of Byron, Illinois and its surrounding communities for more than three decades. We provide hundreds of well-paying jobs and millions of dollars in economic support, including about $38 million in taxes annually for schools, roads and other public services.