712 Digital Group - top

Neb. nuclear plant remains offline for repairs

News

July 14th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant has missed another target date for restarting, so the Omaha Public Power District might have to endure another summer of buying electricity to meet peak demand. OPPD officials say they’ve addressed most of what regulators want them to do at the idle nuclear plant, but the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says more work remains.

The plant, which sits across from Iowa on the Missouri River about 20 miles north of Omaha, has been closed since April 2011. It initially shut down for routine maintenance, but significant flooding in 2011 and a series of safety violations forced it to remain closed.

OPPD spokesman Jeff Hanson says repairs and inspections at Fort Calhoun are taking longer than expected. But so far the work remains within budget.