Perry Nuclear Power Plant Marks 30 Years of Safe and Reliable Operation

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Nov 16, 2017, 15:19 ET

AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) will celebrate the 30^th anniversary of safe, clean and dependable operation at its Perry Nuclear Power Plant on Saturday, November 18. Located on a 1,100-acre site in Perry, Ohio, the 1,268-megawatt plant reliably generates enough electricity to power more than 1.2 million homes each day and has produced more than 273 million megawatt hours of electricity over its 30-year lifespan.

FirstEnergy will mark the anniversary on Friday, November 17 with a celebration for the plant's approximately 700 employees, 120 of whom have worked at Perry since operations began.

"Reaching this significant milestone is a testament to the excellence and dedication of our workforce," said David Hamilton, site vice president at Perry Nuclear Power Plant. "As a proud member of the Perry community, we look forward to many more years of power generation and civic involvement in northeast Ohio."

Construction crews broke ground for Perry in October 1974, and the General Electric-designed boiling water reactor became the nation's 100^th nuclear power plant when it began commercial operation on November 18, 1987. Perry remains one of the nation's newest nuclear power plants in operation today. While the plant is currently licensed through 2026, it can apply for a 20-year extension to continue operations through 2046.

Together with its sister plant located near Toledo, Perry plays an important role in Ohio's economic, environmental and energy future. In addition to supporting 4,300 state-wide jobs, the two plants provide 11 percent of the electricity used in Ohio each year. Their operation helps avoid more than 9 million tons of carbon emissions annually – equal to the carbon output of 1.9 million passenger vehicles. As strong community members, the plants have contributed more than $1.7 million to charitable organizations like United Way and Harvest for Hunger over the past 10 years.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its FENOC subsidiary operates the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport, Pa., the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Perry, Ohio, and the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Visit FENOC on the web at www.fenoc.com, and follow the nuclear plants on Twitter @Perry_Plant, @BVPowerStation, and @DavisBesse.

Editor's Note: Historical photos of the plant are available for download on Flickr.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.