More information is available on a dedicated webpage which the public is encouraged to check frequently. Xcel Energy’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond carbon reduction. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute opens in a new window, every dollar spent by the typical nuclear power plant results in the creation of 1.04 in the local community, 1.08 in the state’s economy, and 1.87 in the U.S. Officials say the concentration of tritium in the groundwater has also declined, and there have been no recorded measurements of tritium beyond the plant footprint.Īfter a recent planned outage for re-fueling and repairs, the Monticello nuclear plant is back online again serving over 500,000 homes and businesses. Xcel says monitoring equipment continues to confirm the water that leaked has been fully contained on-site.Īccording to Xcel, it has now pumped over 1.1 million gallons of water and has recovered over 53% of the tritium released. Xcel has spent 2 billion maintaining the Monticello and Prairie Island plants since the early 2000s, the last time U.S. Xcel Energy Plant Specialists play an important role maintaining plant equipment, performing operational checks and making operating adjustments. The company says it has now collected more than half of the tritium released, and the pipe that caused the leak was fully repaired in March. The issue of nuclear power is an example of the conflict between meeting the energy needs of the ever growing Twin Cities and protecting the environment for future generations.Xcel Energy has released updated information on its efforts to continue to pump, store, process and reuse the groundwater at the Monticello Nuclear Power Generating Plant that was found to contain tritium. In 1994 the Minnesota Legislature enacted a moratorium on new power plants. As part of life cycle management, Xcel Energy is replacing the steam generators on unit 2 at the Prairie Island nuclear generating facility near Red Wing, MN. We own and operate two nuclear power plants: Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant near Monticello, MN and Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant near Red Wing, MN. Many activists fought against the additional storage stating that it would damage the environment and ecosystem of the Mississippi River. The issue was brought to the public's attention again in 1991 when NSP applied to increase the amount of spent fuel storage space at the Prairie Island site.

While energy industry representatives say that nuclear power is a safe and economical alternative to coal, environmental activists counter that nuclear plants are prone to technological failures, that they are disproportionately located on Indian reservations or in minority communities, and that long-term storage of nuclear waste affects nearby communities in the form of higher cancer rates.

More than 10 million in federal funding will help a Minnesota nuclear power plant make hydrogen in a way that could transform the nuclear energy industry. Reviews from Xcel Energy, Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant employees about Xcel Energy, Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant culture, salaries. Since the early 1970s, activists in Minnesota have been protesting against the nuclear reactors operated by NSP (now Xcel Energy). pairing of high-temperature steam electrolysis with commercial heat. Nuclear Learn about clean, safe, reliable and carbon-free nuclear energy. Natural Gas Clean-burning, safe and abundant energy. Discover more Hydro Using one of the oldest forms of energy. Xcel Energy has proposed an extended power uprate (EPU) at Monticello, a multi-year overhaul of reactor components and systems designed to boost the plants. Nuclear Power has been a controversial issue in Minnesota since the 1960s when building began on the Northern States Power (NSP) Monticello and Prairie Island nuclear power plants. Wind Leading the nation in wind for more than a decade.

Xcel energy nuclear power plants