- Nuclear power plants are among the most robust in the U.S. civilian infrastructure
- These critical national assets help bring back power quickly to storm-ravaged communities
- All the reactors weathered the hurricane with no damage or safety issues
The resilience of the nation’s 98 nuclear power reactors in the face of extreme events is a constant, however unpredictable the events themselves may be—Hurricane Florence included. Resilience is a measure of these facilities’ outstanding ability to withstand whatever Mother Nature can throw at them and quickly return to providing life-saving electrical service when people and businesses need it most.
Nuclear facilities are designed and built for severe weather. Resilience comes from more than the physical durability of nuclear plant structures—though with their thick reinforced concrete walls, multiple levels of redundancy and independent safety systems, they are indeed extremely sturdy. Resilience also comes from carefully thought-out severe weather and emergency preparedness protocols and from the thousands of dedicated people who operate these plants with well-honed responses to any off-normal conditions, their attention to detail and constantly practiced drills.
“Nuclear power plants are among the most hardened and secure facilities in the United States. In addition, our employees’ dedication to rigorous training, attention to safety and continuous improvement ensures that the resilience of these facilities is second to none. In the face of natural disasters our nuclear fleet remains a critical part of the national electric infrastructure,” Nuclear Energy Institute President and Chief Executive Officer Maria Korsnick said.
As Hurricane Florence began to threaten the Carolinas, employees at 20 nuclear reactors at 11 sites in North and South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia were prepared to swing into action to prepare their sites for the storm. Each facility has detailed emergency response plans to protect their communities and employees. These plans meet requirements set by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Plant operators also work with state governments and local first responders.
Similar to Hurricane Harvey when it hit the Texas Gulf Coast last year, Florence stalled just offshore prior to making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Friday, Sept. 14 near Wilmington, North Carolina, resulting in record-breaking rainfall, flooding and storm surges far inland.
Duke Energy Corp.’s 1,870-megawatt twin-reactor Brunswick Nuclear Plant, located about 30 miles south of Wilmington, was nearest to the storm’s track and on Thursday, Sept. 13, was the only plant to shut down in anticipation of hurricane-force winds and dropping barometric pressure, as per protocol. All the other nuclear plants in the storm-affected region—including Duke’s Shearon Harris and McGuire plants in North Carolina and Robinson in South Carolina, and South Carolina Electric & Gas Co.’s V.C. Summer plant—remained operational at full power.
By Saturday, more than one million customers in North and South Carolina reported electricity outages. Electricity loads declined as a result of the outages and from mandatory evacuations and cooler temperatures. Twenty-four hours later, loads began to recover as the storm moved west and downed line restoration efforts continued. Operations were so smooth that one of the two reactors at the McGuire plant even moved forward with a planned shutdown for scheduled refueling. One of the two reactors at Southern Nuclear’s Vogtle plant in Georgia—not in the storm’s eventual path—also shut down for scheduled refueling on Sunday.
Throughout the weekend, the Nuclear Energy Institute remained in “support mode,” ensuring that all relevant entities and organizations remained fully apprised of unfolding events. These included plant executives and communicators, the Edison Electric Institute, the Electric Subsector Coordinating Council and federal partners including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy and Department of Homeland Security.
By mid-week, Florence had dissipated as it turned northward and inland. Flooding from swollen rivers remains a threat to the Carolinas and the storm’s effects will continue to be felt for many weeks. Duke Energy reported on Tuesday that it had restored power to nearly 1.5 million customers of the nearly 1.7 million who experienced outages during the storm. By Thursday Sept. 20, Brunswick 2 had restarted and Brunswick 1’s restart was underway.
“Resilience also means that our nuclear plants are ready to provide electricity as soon as restoration efforts ensure the power grid is able to accept it. Our hearts go out to the many people who have been affected by this hurricane. The nuclear industry continues to provide secure, reliable power for hospitals, first responders and all the vital services so needed by these recovering communities,” Korsnick added.
Further detail is available on the nuclear industry’s preparedness for hurricanes, flooding and other extreme events, including the systems and protocols that ensure the public and plant employees are protected.