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bananas

(27,509 posts) Wed Oct 31, 2012, 11:16 AM Oct 2012

Power reduction at Limerick nuke plant was due to less demand, not damage from Sandy

Source: The Mercury (Pottstown PA)

LIMERICK — Hurricane Sandy’s only immediate impact on the region’s nuclear power plant was a sudden decrease in the need for power due to outages, causing the plant to decrease power.

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Other plants shut down for storm-related reasons.

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According to NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan, “Limerick Unit 1 decreased power to about 50 percent, Limerick Unit 2 to about 25 percent due to reduced electrical demand on the grid. This is due to the widespread power outages resulting from the storm.”

He noted that the power outages in just New Jersey alone are as high as 2.5 million, thus illustrating the lower power demands.

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Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121030/NEWS01/121039918/power-reduction-at-limerick-nuke-plant-was-due-to-less-demand-not-damage-from-sandy#full_story

5 replies

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Power reduction at Limerick nuke plant was due to less demand, not damage from Sandy (Original Post) bananas Oct 2012 OP

There once was a nuke plant named Mike AngryAmish Oct 2012 #1

Reactors should be shut down before a storm like this bananas Oct 2012 #2

Exactly madokie Oct 2012 #3

It makes no difference. It literally takes years to fully shut down a nuke plant. Thegonagle Oct 2012 #5

I live and work minutes from that plant. The reduction was SOP. onehandle Oct 2012 #4

AngryAmish

(25,704 posts)

1. There once was a nuke plant named Mike

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Wed Oct 31, 2012, 11:23 AM

Oct 2012

Who didn't want it's power to spike
So he turned it down
Saw faces turn to frown
And then sped away on a trike!

There once was a man from venus
Who had a very large...

bananas

(27,509 posts)

2. Reactors should be shut down before a storm like this

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Wed Oct 31, 2012, 11:31 AM

Oct 2012

If there's a serious accident during a storm like this, people won't be able to evacuate and emergency workers won't be able to get in. That's a completely avoidable disaster. There's enough generation capacity for peak load during the summer when air conditioners are running at full blast, so the electricity from nuclear isn't needed at all.

madokie

(51,076 posts)

3. Exactly

Reply to bananas (Reply #2)

Wed Oct 31, 2012, 12:00 PM

Oct 2012

I'd like to see the results of a study of how dirty or clean, whichever, nuclear power is, going from the drawing board to completion of its cycle life taking in the mining of the ore and the refining of the fuel compared to a NG plant. I know there is no comparison between coal and nukes. Producing the fuel for a nuclear plant is a dirty process in itself, takes a lot of energy too.

Thegonagle

(806 posts)

5. It makes no difference. It literally takes years to fully shut down a nuke plant.

Reply to bananas (Reply #2)

Wed Oct 31, 2012, 02:55 PM

Oct 2012

They can shut down their electrical output in seconds, but that stuff stays hot enough to melt for months.

No matter whether they're generating electricity or not, a crew needs to be there keeping the pumps running anyway, so they might as well keep the lights on.

onehandle

(51,122 posts)

4. I live and work minutes from that plant. The reduction was SOP.

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Wed Oct 31, 2012, 12:42 PM

Oct 2012

Our power never went out.

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