OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant in eastern Nebraska is back in operation after nearly three years of being shut down under the heavy scrutiny of federal regulators.
Omaha Public Power District spokesman Jeff Hanson said Thursday that the 478-megawatt plant reached 98 percent power on Christmas Day and was expected to hit 100 percent later Thursday. Hanson says nothing out of the ordinary arose during restart, which began last week. On Dec. 17 OPPD received permission from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to restart the plant.
Fort Calhoun initially shut down for routine maintenance in April 2011, but significant flooding that summer, a small fire and a series of safety violations forced it to remain closed. With NRC oversight, OPPD addressed more than 450 concerns at the plant.
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