One of the nuclear reactors at the Quad Cities Station has been shut down. After nearly two years of continuous operation, Monday morning, Exelon shut down Unit 2 at the plant in Cordova for refueling and maintenance.
Spokesman Bill Stoermer says planning began two years ago for the shut-down, that could last about a month.
Stoermer says the shut-down will involve the plant's 800 regular employees, plus 1,700 additional workers. Some have come from as far away as California, Florida, and Vermont to help with repairs, maintenance, and refueling.
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He can't publicize the schedule for the outage at Unit 2, but in the past, they've lasted around 25 days.
At full power, the two reactors at Cordova generate enough electricity to power nearly two million homes in Iowa and Illinois. During the last ten years, the Quad Cities Station has operated at an average of 94 percent capacity.