Constellation’s Nuclear Plants Ran at Near 100% Capacity During Scorching Summer Months as Carbon-Free Energy Rises to Meet the Climate Challenge

Rhea-AI Summary

This summer, Constellation's nuclear plants delivered high generation reliability amidst extreme weather, with a remarkable capacity factor of 99%. The company, a leader in carbon-free energy, operates 12 nuclear facilities across the East Coast and Midwest, providing uninterrupted electricity to millions of homes. Ongoing maintenance and technology upgrades helped maintain this reliability, critical during tough climatic conditions. Constellation aims for 100% carbon-free power generation by 2040, leveraging its diverse energy mix and largest nuclear fleet in the U.S.

Positive

• Achieved a near-perfect summer capacity factor of 99%, indicating high operational efficiency.
• Ongoing maintenance and technology upgrades ensure uninterrupted power supply.
• Aims for 100% carbon-free power generation by 2040, supporting long-term sustainability.

Negative

• None.

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fierce storms, 1,000-year floods and blazing heat dominated national weather patterns this summer, but customers of Constellation nuclear plants from the East Coast to the Midwest enjoyed some of the nation’s highest levels of generation reliability. Led by 12 carbon-free nuclear plants operating 24/7 and delivering clean energy to millions of homes from the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions westward to Illinois, the grid experienced no electricity supply constraints.

“One of the greatest challenges we face as a nation is eliminating carbon emissions and continuing to reliably and affordably power our communities in the face of extreme weather driven by climate change,” said Bryan Hanson, executive vice president and chief generation officer, Constellation. “Our nuclear plants are among the most reliable sources of electricity on the planet, while also helping to address the climate crisis by providing carbon-free energy to millions of homes and businesses, when and where they need it.”

In the spring thousands of highly skilled workers performed technology upgrades and power plant equipment maintenance during refueling outages and summer preparedness projects at Constellation nuclear plants. The cutting-edge work and preventive maintenance efforts ensured millions of American homes and businesses had electricity produced from carbon-free nuclear reactors during the summer. Now, those workers will perform similar fall maintenance projects to ensure the power supply remains available to all residents during the cold winter months ahead.

“Americans are facing many challenges with extreme weather; our nuclear professionals are on site every day to ensure a reliable flow of carbon-free electricity to millions of residents,” said Dave Rhoades, chief nuclear officer, Constellation. “Our hard-working employees have dedicated themselves to making our nuclear fleet the best in the country, and that translates to an uninterrupted power supply, regardless of the weather.”

Constellation’s reliable nuclear stations provided around-the-clock, carbon-free electricity to millions of homes and businesses during the summer. The fleet’s near-perfect summer capacity factor of 99 percent means the reactors ran at nearly full power every second of every day this summer. That percentage is considerably higher than any other large scale energy sources.

Constellation’s nuclear fleet in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S. includes Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Maryland; Limerick Generating Station and Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania; and New York facilities Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant, Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, and Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station. Its Illinois nuclear fleet includes Braidwood Generating Station in Will County, Byron Generating Station in Ogle County, Clinton Power Station in DeWitt County, Dresden Generating Station in Grundy County, LaSalle County Generating Station, and Quad Cities Generating in Rock Island County.

About Constellation

Constellation Energy Corporation (Nasdaq: CEG) is the nation’s largest producer of clean, carbon-free energy and a leading supplier of energy products and services to millions of homes, institutional customers, the public sector, community aggregations and businesses, including three fourths of Fortune 100 companies. A Fortune 200 company headquartered in Baltimore, our fleet of nuclear, hydro, wind and solar facilities have the generating capacity to power approximately 20 million homes, providing 10 percent of all carbon-free energy on the grid in the U.S. Our fleet is helping to accelerate the nation’s transition to clean energy with more than 32,400 megawatts of capacity and annual output that is nearly 90 percent carbon-free. We have set a goal to achieve 100 percent carbon-free power generation by 2040 by leveraging innovative technology and enhancing our diverse mix of hydro, wind and solar resources paired with the nation’s largest nuclear fleet. Follow Constellation on Twitter @ConstellationEG.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220919005784/en/

Brett Nauman

Constellation Communications

(410) 470-9700

Brett.Nauman@constellation.com

Source: Constellation Energy Corporation

FAQ

What was Constellation's capacity factor this summer?

Constellation achieved a near-perfect summer capacity factor of 99%.

How many nuclear plants does Constellation operate?

Constellation operates 12 carbon-free nuclear plants from the East Coast to the Midwest.

What is Constellation's goal for carbon-free energy generation?

Constellation aims to achieve 100% carbon-free power generation by 2040.

What impact did summer weather have on Constellation's power generation?

Despite extreme weather, Constellation maintained a reliable flow of carbon-free electricity.

How does Constellation contribute to clean energy in the U.S.?

Constellation provides 10% of all carbon-free energy on the U.S. grid.