A Peek into the History of Duke Energy’s Nuclear Fleet
September 25, 2012
In1957 the country’s first commercial nuclear power plant began generating electricity. Shippingport Power Station reliably supplied nuclear energy to the Pittsburgh area for 25 years before being retired in 1982. Shippingport broadened opportunities ... Read More
Nuclear Facilities Remain Safe and Secure 11 Years Later
September 11, 2012
Since September 11, 2001, the nuclear industry has made a number of security enhancements to make nuclear plants events safer. Although regarded as one of the securest facilities in the world prior to 9/11, the industry has spent nearly $2 billion ... Read More
New Plant Equipment Ensures Safe and Reliable Service for Years to Come
August 16, 2012
This fall, McGuire Nuclear Station will power down one of its units as it undergoes a refueling outage. Although outages occur every 18 months and are critical to the operation of the plant, this outage is perhaps even more significant because McGuire ... Read More
A Brief History of Nuclear Power in the U.S.
July 31, 2012
Shippingport power station was the first commercial nuclear power plant in the world. In the post-World War II era, the Atomic Energy Commission was created to explore peaceful opportunities for the same nuclear materials the U.S. used in Japan at the ... Read More
It’s The Cool Thing to Do
July 24, 2012
The cooling tower; it's the icon of the nuclear world. It's also mistakenly thought to be spewing pollution. It's actually water vapor (or steam). Let's take a look at how cooling towers produce the water vapor you see. Thermoelectric power plants, ... Read More
Nuclear Energy Spans the Globe
July 18, 2012
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the United States will need 22 percent more electricity by the year 2035. Across the globe, energy consumption will increase to approximately 1,700 terawatt-hours; this is the equivalent of home electricity ... Read More
Duke Energy and Progress Energy Merge Nuclear Fleets
July 05, 2012
On July 2, Duke Energy and Progress Energy completed their merger, making the new Duke Energy the biggest U.S. electric utility – based on market capitalization, generation capacity and number of customers. The new company will have approximately ... Read More
Communities Reap Economic Benefits from Neighborhood Nuclear Power Plants
June 19, 2012
Nuclear energy is an excellent carbon-free electricity source important to the country’s energy mix, with 104 reactors generating 70 percent of the nation’s carbon-free electricity. What many don’t realize is that nuclear power plants play vital roles ... Read More
Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric Energy Fills the Gap
April 24, 2012
As midnight approaches and Carolinians retire for the evening, energy consumption trails off sharply across Duke Energy’s electric generating system. Out of sight and mind, the utility’s nuclear generating fleet operates at full power night and day, ... Read More