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When Construction Began
Construction of the power plant started in 1976 and initial construction cost for the station was $5.2 billion. The station has a capacity of 2360 megawatts of power or enough power for nearly 2 million homes. -
UNIT 1
This is the date that the station was built. Unit 1 had entered service. It is capable of generating 1,194 net megawatts(MW). It is known to create Nuclear Electricity (nuclear leaks, water source, people got sick). -
UNIT 2
Unit 1 is able to generate 1,194 net megawatts of electrity, while Unit 2 that had entered service then that it is capable of generating 1,166 net MW. Together they can produce enough electricity to power more than 2 millions average American homes. Their both known to create nuclear power. -
Leaks
During the year of 1996, 250,000 gallons of tritiated water leaked near the plant. This area has been a source of water and tritium into the ditch, just east of the switchyard, until the remedial groundwater pumping system was started in October 2006. -
Leaks
About 3 million gallons leaked at the Braidwood Generating Station. The radioactive substance of the nuclear power plant called tritium that is into the soil and ground of properly surrounding the Braidwood Nuclear Reactor. -
More Leaks
Another 3 million gallons leaked. Dates are not known but several leaks occured, one which migrated offsite into a forest preserve. -
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
The N.R.C. was informed that workers had detected tritium in a drinking water well at a home near the plant. There were 34,000 picocuries per liter, (EPA) Environmental Protection Agency allows 20,000 picocuries per liter. -
Leaks Discovered
The tritium has been released from the temporary storage area. There was a total of 22 leaks that have been discovered at that time. -
Solution for Leaks
The state of Illinois filed a lawsuit against Exelon seeking $36.5 million in fines for both the company's failure to properly maintain the underground pipeline that leaked and their delay in notifying state officials. -
11 Families File11 Families Suit over Braidwood Nuclear Plant Waste Contamination
Eleven Braidwood families filed a multi-count complaint against Exelon Corporation and Commonwealth Edison Corporation related to a series of violations of nuclear waste laws and admitted contaminations of property near the Braidwood nuclear power plant. The suit contends that the acknowledged millions of gallons of tritium leakage into the ground jeopardizes the ground water over an extensive area and created a large detrimental stigma for hundreds of citizens. -
Groundwater Pumping system
The groundwater pumping system started in October, 2006. Without remedial pumping, groundwater in this area is typically higher than the bottom of the ditch so groundwater naturally flows into the ditch, taking tritium with it. Now, with remedial pumping, the water table is too low in this area to intersect the ditch. -
Community Impact
It was approximately $21.2 million (2008 taxes paid in 2009). The annual payroll was approximately $66 million. The number of employees were approximately 850. -
2009 Net Generation
The 2009 net generation had 19,227,979 mwh. The customers that served this were more than 2 million homes. The capacity factor was 93 percent. -
UNIT 1 and UNIT 2
Units 1 and 2 began commercial operation in July & October of 1988, respectively. Both of Braidwood's Units are pressurized water reactors designed by Westinghouse. The power plant is built on a 4,457 acre site, its coding lake was formed from scarred farming land and an old strip mine. It is the largest nuclear power plant in the state, generating a net total of 2,242 megawatts.
