Perry Nuclear Generating Station - History

History

Built at a cost of $6 billion, Perry-1 is one of the most expensive power plants ever constructed.

Perry was originally designed as a two-unit installation, but construction on Unit 2 was suspended in 1985 and formally cancelled in 1994. At the time of cancellation, all of the major buildings and structures for the second unit were completed, including the 500-foot-tall (150 m) cooling tower. It is possible that a second unit could be constructed on the site, but current economical and regulatory conditions are not conducive to doing so (in addition to back taxes that would be due to the "abandon in place" designations on many objects in Unit 2). At any rate, the second unit would have to be re-built from the ground up to accommodate the newer reactor design that would almost certainly be installed.

Eleven hundred acres at the Perry plant were designated in 1993 as an urban wildlife sanctuary by the National Institute for Urban Wildlife. The area has trees, shrubs, streams and ponds; and a habitat for heron, belted kingfisher, ducks and geese. The forested area is ideal for the crane-fly orchid, a rare species in Ohio. The site includes a wetland that contains spotted turtles, an endangered species in Ohio.

On March 28, 2010, there was a fire in a lubrication system for one of the water pumps that feeds water for generation of steam. Reactor power was reduced to 70% as a safety precaution, and the fire was extinguished in less than three hours. Two plant fire brigade personnel were brought to a local hospital for "heat stress" following the fire. No customers lost power during this event.

In addition to Perry, FirstEnergy also owns and operates the Davis-Besse and Beaver Valley nuclear plants.

Unit 1 Unit 2
Reactor Type BWR-6 BWR-6
Reactor Manufacturer General Electric General Electric
Turbine Manufacturer General Electric General Electric
Thermal Power 3,758 megawatts Unit canceled in 1994
Electrical Output 1,260 megawatts Unit canceled in 1994
Transmission System Connection 345,000 volts Unit canceled in 1994
Construction Permit Issued May 3, 1977 May 3, 1977 (construction suspended in 1985)
Initial Criticality June 1986 Unit canceled in 1994
First Electrical Generation November 13, 1986 Unit canceled in 1994
Operational Date November 18, 1987 Unit canceled in 1994
Expiration of Original License March 18, 2026 Unit canceled in 1994

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