Blizzard Shuts Down Calvert Cliffs Unit 1

LUSBY, Md. (Jan. 25, 2016)—Operators removed Calvert Cliffs' Unit 1 from service this weekend to perform electrical maintenance in the switchyard that distributes power from the station to the grid. Crews will perform additional work on the non-nuclear side of the plant while the unit is out of service. Unit 2 remains at full power.

Over the weekend, high winds and ice accumulation caused a high-voltage line to disconnect in the Unit 1 switchyard. Operators needed to de-energize the line in order to make repairs, which required that the generator be taken off line.

Calvert Cliffs is located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County and is Maryland's only nuclear energy facility. The station is home to two pressurized water reactors capable of generating 1,756 megawatts combined. Units 1 and 2 began commercial operation in 1975 and 1977, respectively.