Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station

Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station
Aerial photograph of the power plant
Map
CountryUnited States
LocationShippingport, Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°37′24″N 80°25′50″W / 40.62333°N 80.43056°W / 40.62333; -80.43056
StatusOperational
Construction beganUnit 1: June 26, 1970
Unit 2: May 3, 1974
Commission dateUnit 1: October 1, 1976
Unit 2: November 17, 1987
Construction cost$8.520 billion (2007 USD)[1]
OwnerVistra
OperatorVistra
Nuclear power station
Reactor typePWR
Reactor supplierWestinghouse
Cooling towers2 × Natural Draft
Cooling sourceOhio River
Thermal capacity2 × 2900 MWth
Power generation
Units operational1 × 980 MWe
1 × 960 MWe
Make and modelWH 3-loop (DRYSUB)
Nameplate capacity1826 MW
Capacity factor95.73% (2017)
80.25% (lifetime)
Annual net output14,381 GWh (2021)
External links
WebsiteBeaver Valley
CommonsRelated media on Commons

Beaver Valley Power Station is a nuclear power plant on the Ohio River covering 1,000 acres (400 ha) near Shippingport, Pennsylvania, United States, 27 miles (43 km) roughly northwest of Pittsburgh. The plant is operated by Vistra Corp and power is generated by two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors. As of 2023, it is the fourth largest employer in Beaver County.[2]

In 2018, previous owner FirstEnergy Solutions filed for bankruptcy and announced the plant would begin deactivation by 2021. However, upon emergence from bankruptcy in 2020 as new owner Energy Harbor, the shutdown of the plant was reversed largely due to then Governor Tom Wolf's decision to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.[3]

In 2023, it was announced that parent company Energy Harbor will be acquired by retail electricity and power generation company Vistra Corp, who is based in Irving, TX.[4]

  1. ^ "EIA – State Nuclear Profiles". www.eia.gov. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Top 50 Employers, Beaver County, 2nd Quarter 2023" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Owners of Pa.'s Beaver Valley nuclear power station will keep it open because of state's climate plan". StateImpact Pennsylvania. 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  4. ^ Corp, Vistra. "Vistra Announces Acquisition of Energy Harbor – Vistra Corp Legislative Hub". Retrieved 2024-01-28.