Exelon Generation Submits Decommissioning Plans for Byron and Dresden Nuclear Plants
Exelon Generation has filed Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activity Reports (PSDARs) with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its Byron and Dresden nuclear facilities, set to close this fall due to revenue shortfalls exceeding hundreds of millions caused by low energy prices. These closures will significantly impact jobs, reducing staff from nearly 1,500 to just 30-40 over a decade. The shutdowns are projected to increase reliance on fossil fuels, leading to higher emissions and job losses in Illinois. Both plants are scheduled to shut down in September and November, respectively.
- Exelon Generation has a clear plan for site restoration, with up to 60 years allocated for decommissioning.
- The filing of PSDARs completes a significant regulatory milestone in the plant shutdown process.
- Closure of Byron and Dresden could result in the loss of 28,000 jobs supported by these plants.
- The shutdown is expected to have an immediate harmful environmental impact, equivalent to adding 4.4 million cars to the roads.
- Without legislative support, Exelon may be forced to close additional facilities (Braidwood and LaSalle) in coming years.
Exelon Generation, owner and operator of the Byron and Dresden nuclear energy facilities, will file Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activity Reports (PSDARs) today with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, detailing long-term site restoration plans for both stations after they shut down this fall. The filings are among the final steps in retiring the plants, which face revenue shortfalls in the hundreds of millions of dollars due to low energy prices and market policies that give fossil fuel plants an unfair competitive advantage. Absent a legislative solution, these same market inequities will force the company to close its Braidwood and LaSalle nuclear facilities sometime in the next few years. Click here for a list of all the shutdown activities completed to date.
With the PSDARs complete, Exelon Generation is now preparing to issue job reduction notifications to employees impacted by the plant shutdowns. Staffing at the plants will fall from nearly 1,500 employees when the plant retirements were announced last August, to just 30-40 employees over the next 10 years.
With just weeks to go before the first of the plants permanently closes, policymakers continue working on legislation that would preserve all four of the plants as part of a comprehensive plan to maintain and grow clean-energy jobs, keep energy bills affordable and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Chicago-area plants support 28,000 direct and indirect jobs and contribute
“With no signs of a breakthrough on clean energy legislation in Springfield, we have no choice but to take these final steps in preparation for shutting down the plants,” said Exelon Generation Chief Nuclear Officer Dave Rhoades. “We will never stop fighting for policies to preserve Illinois’ nuclear fleet, knowing that the minute these plants close our customers will experience dirtier air and higher energy costs. But with time running out, we must plan for the future and do everything we can to prepare our employees and the communities they serve for what lies ahead.”
As part of the decommissioning process, Exelon Generation has up to 60 years to restore Byron and Dresden, which includes transporting the stations’ used fuel to long-term storage, decontaminating and removing plant components and razing the remaining buildings.
PJM, the regional grid operator, has confirmed that both plants can retire without putting overall grid reliability at risk. However, the massive loss of in-state clean generation means Illinois will have to rely more on fossil energy located in environmental justice communities and in surrounding states to meet the needs of Illinois homes and businesses. Increased production from fossil plants will increase carbon and other harmful emissions and force Illinois consumers to support jobs in other states through their energy bills.
The PSDAR filing with the NRC is one of the few remaining regulatory milestones required before closing the plants. Byron is scheduled to shut down in September and Dresden in November.
About Exelon Generation
Exelon Generation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), is the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free energy, powering more than 20 million homes and businesses through a diverse generation fleet with approximately 30,000 megawatts of capacity. Exelon Generation owns and operates the largest U.S. fleet of zero-carbon nuclear plants with more than 17,800 megawatts from 21 reactors at 12 facilities in Illinois, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania. It also owns and operates a diverse mix of wind, solar, hydroelectric, natural gas and oil facilities in 18 states with approximately 12,000 megawatts. Exelon Generation sets the standard for world-class power plant operations that produce clean, safe, reliable electricity, 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 or visit exeloncorp.com.
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