Home > Nuclear > U.S. Nuclear Reactors - State Nuclear Industry> Michigan |
COLUMBUS Business First
LATEST NEWS January 16, 2003 Nearby fire idles AEP nuclear plant in Michigan
...The fire triggered an automatic shutdown of the reactor, and AEP (American Electric Power Company, Inc.) is still working to estimate when it will come back on line… [Editor's note: The preceding line concerning a fire in a transformer might seem like a prelude to harsh criticism of the nuclear industry in general, and the Cook power plant (where this problem occurred) in particular. Problems can (and sometimes do) occur at nuclear power plants, just like they do in non-nuclear plants. One fact is often overlooked in articles and discussions about the potential for an accident at a nuclear plant. Nuclear power plants have built-in safeguards, many of which escape public attention. Such safeguards, as in this case, can take over even when the problem is not at the plant but potentially affects its operation.] 
Michigan Nuclear Highlights
|
Plant
Name |
Nuclear
Units |
Capacity Net MWe |
Share of State
Nuclear Generation Total |
Operator/Owner
|
Donald C. Cook | Unit 1, Unit 2 | 2,060 | 50 % | American Electric Power/ Indiana Michigan Power Co. |
Enrico Fermi | Unit 2 | 1,111 | 30 % | Detroit Edison Co./ DTE Energy |
Palisades | Unit 1 | 767 | 20 % | Nuclear Management Co./ CMS Energy Corporation |
Total | 4 Reactors | 3,938 | 100 % |
Competing Fuels
Electricity
Market in Michigan (Percent Generated by Fuel) | ||||||
Year |
Coal |
N.
Gas |
Hydro |
Nuclear |
Petroleum |
Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003** |
61 |
10 |
* |
25 |
1 |
2 |
2002** |
57 |
13 |
1 |
26 |
1 |
1 |
Emissions
Michigan
Electric Power Industry Estimated Emissions Thousand Short Tons |
|||
Product | Thousand Short Tons | National Ranking | Annual
Growth Rate (1993 through 2002) |
Sulfur Dioxide | 355 | 12th | -0.8 percent |
Nitrogen Oxide | 154 | 13th | -7.3 percent |
Carbon Dioxide | 79,781 | 11th | 1.0 percent |
See also, the comprehensive table comparing emissions tonnage for all 50 States plus the District of Columbia.
License Renewal
According to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), no applications for license renewal have yet been received for any of Michigan's commercial reactors. An application for units 1 at 2 at the D.C. Cook power plant is anticipated in December 2003. The current license for the Palisades plant's reactor expires in 2007. The license for Enrico Fermi's unit 2 does not expire until after 2020.
Information on the current status of all license renewal applications appears on the NRC web site at http://www.nrc.gov . To locate the data, select "index,"then select the letter "l"and click on "License Renewal."
Where to Go Next (your choice)
To Next State in this Series (Minnesota)
Contact: