Clinton Power Station

Clinton Power Station
Clinton Power Station
Map
CountryUnited States
LocationHarp Township, DeWitt County, near Clinton, Illinois
Coordinates40°10′20″N 88°50′6″W / 40.17222°N 88.83500°W / 40.17222; -88.83500
StatusOperational
Construction beganOctober 1, 1975 (1975-10-01)
Commission dateNovember 24, 1987
Construction cost$4.25 billion
OwnerConstellation Energy
OperatorConstellation Energy
Nuclear power station
Reactor typeBWR
Reactor supplierGeneral Electric
Cooling sourceClinton Lake[a]
Thermal capacity1 × 3473 MWth
Power generation
Units operational1 × 1138 MW
Make and modelBWR-6 (Mark 3)
Units cancelled1 × 933 MW
Nameplate capacity1138 MW
Capacity factor89.84% (2017)
78.50% (lifetime)
Annual net output8358 GWh (2017)
External links
WebsiteClinton Power Station
CommonsRelated media on Commons

The Clinton Power Station is a nuclear power plant located near Clinton, Illinois, USA. The power station began commercial operation on November 24, 1987 and has a nominal net electric output of 1062 MWe. Due to inflation and cost overruns, Clinton's final construction cost was $4.25 billion ($11.4 billion today), nearly 1,000% over the original budget of $430 million and seven years behind schedule.[1]

The station has a single generation II General Electric Boiling Water Reactor. The present reactor operating license was issued April 17, 1987, and will expire September 29, 2026. Plans for a second reactor were shelved. Exelon, the former owner and operator of the present reactor, announced plans to permanently close the power station in June 2017, due to the plants struggles to compete economically in wholesale markets, resulting in a loss of millions of dollars in recent years.[2] The plans for closure were canceled, however, when the Illinois State Legislature passed and the Illinois Governor signed SB 2814, The Future Energy Jobs Bill. The legislation provides Zero Emission Credits for the plants' CO2-free electricity. The consequences of continued operation include saving 4,200 jobs and the annual generation of 22 billion kWhs of CO2-free energy.[3]

The surrounding 14,300 acres (58 km2) site and adjacent 5,000 acres (20 km2) cooling reservoir, Clinton Lake, is owned by the operator, but hosts the Clinton Lake State Recreation Area and is open to public for a large range of outdoor activities. Only around 150 acres (0.6 km2) are actually used by the plant's buildings and operation areas.[4][5]


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  1. ^ "Nuke Plant by the numbers". The Southeast Missourian. Associated Press. 28 July 1997.
  2. ^ Dianne Cardwell Exelon to Close 2 Nuclear Plants in Illinois, June 2, 2016.
  3. ^ "Illinois Sees The Light -- Retains Nuclear Power". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2022-11-28.
  4. ^ "Clinton Lake State Recreation Area Site Map". Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
  5. ^ Clinton, Unit 1 - CPS/USAR - Rev. 12, January 2007, p18, chapter 1.2.2.1.1