Two nuclear power plants in Florida to close ahead of Hurricane Irma

• 6 years ago (2017-09-08)
• David Flin

North America 1004 Nuclear 643

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Florida Power and Light (FPL) has announced that it will be shutting off operation at its Turkey Point and St Lucie nuclear power plants on the Atlantic coast before the arrival of Hurricane Irma. Rob Gould, Public Information Officer for FPL, said Turkey Point and St Lucie will be powered down, and that other non-nuclear assets would be able to generate enough power to make up for losses due to the temporary closure of the nuclear plants unless they were severely damaged by the storm.

He said that if the worst outcome of the storm is realized, some customers could be without power for some time. “FPL might have to rebuild the electrical system instead of just repairing it. There is simply no way to hurricane-proof an electrical network. No grid is designed to be able to withstand a category 5 storm that has been approaching 185 miles per hour.” He added that since 2005, FPL has invested $3 billion in strengthening its electrical grid with updated technology and new underground lines.

Gould said: “We are probably more ready than we have been for any other storm in our company’s history. FPL has 11,000 extra linesmen coming to the service areas expected to be hit hardest by Irma’s damage, primarily in the Miami-Dade area.”

The reactors at Turkey Point and St Lucie will remain offline until it is safe to restore crews and generation. The plants will undergo thorough inspection ahead of returning to power, and all evacuation routes will be cleared of debris.