KENNETT SQUARE, Pa.,
Sept. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/
-- Exelon's fleet of 13 nuclear power plants ran at an average
96.9 percent capacity factor through June, July and August, despite
hotter than average summer temperatures and more than 30 hot
weather alerts from regional grid operators. Capacity factors are
used throughout the nuclear industry to track operational
performance and reliability.
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration,
June and July 2016 recorded the
warmest average temperatures since 2012 for Illinois and Pennsylvania, and since 2013 for New Jersey, New
York and Maryland – the
five states where Exelon owns and operates nuclear plants.
"Nuclear facilities are by far the most reliable source of
energy during extreme weather conditions," said Bryan Hanson, president and chief nuclear
officer of Exelon's nuclear fleet. "Nuclear is also the cleanest
source of baseload power during weather events, providing about 63
percent of the nation's carbon-free electricity."
When temperatures rise, regional grid operators issue hot
weather alerts, which signal generation facilities to avoid or
reschedule maintenance and testing activities that could cause a
loss of generation to the grid. This summer, all 13 Exelon nuclear
facilities ran at their maximum allowable power levels during those
hot weather alerts, providing 24/7carbon-free baseload power to
offset higher demand.
Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC) is a Fortune 100 energy company
with the largest number of utility customers in the U.S. Exelon
does business in 48 states, the District
of Columbia and Canada and
had 2015 revenue of $34.5 billion.
Exelon's six utilities deliver electricity and natural gas to
approximately 10 million customers in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania
through its Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power,
PECO and Pepco subsidiaries. Exelon is one of the largest
competitive U.S. power generators, with more than 32,700 megawatts
of nuclear, gas, wind, solar and hydroelectric generating capacity
comprising one of the nation's cleanest and lowest-cost power
generation fleets. The company's Constellation business unit
provides energy products and services to approximately 2.5 million
residential, public sector and business customers, including more
than two-thirds of the Fortune 100. Follow Exelon on Twitter
@Exelon.
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SOURCE Exelon Generation