San Onofre plant at 25% of capacity
NORTH COUNTY: The San Onofre nuclear power plant has reduced the output of one of its nuclear reactors to save fuel for the summer, when energy demand peaks.
The Unit 3 reactor is operating at half capacity, according to public documents, and will remain at a lower output for about 45 days, said Gil Alexander, a spokesman for Southern California Edison, the plant’s operator.
San Onofre’s other reactor, Unit 2, has generated no power since late September 2009, when it was taken offline while two steam generators were replaced and the nuclear fuel restored. Edison planned to restart that reactor by January, but problems with the generator replacement delayed that.
Alexander said Edison won’t disclose Unit 2’s new restart date for proprietary reasons.
With Unit 2 generating no power and Unit 3 at 50 percent, the plant’s output is 25 percent of its capacity, which is 2,200 megawatts at 100 percent. That supplies roughly 1.5 million homes.
Edison is required to purchase replacement power when the reactors are down, if demand exceeds capacity.
Edison owns a 78 percent stake in San Onofre, San Diego Gas & Electric Co. owns 20 percent and the city of Riverside owns the rest.
