Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant
| Company type | Nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | August 27, 1975 (Unit 1), July 1, 1978 (Unit 2) |
| Headquarters | Bridgman , United States |
| Products | Electricity generation |
| Owner | American Electric Power |
| Parent | Indiana Michigan Power (subsidiary of AEP) |
Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant is a nuclear energy installation situated near Bridgman in Berrien County, Michigan, occupying a 650-acre site approximately 11 miles south of St. Joseph. This facility is owned by American Electric Power (AEP) and managed by its subsidiary, Indiana Michigan Power, representing AEP's only nuclear generation asset.
Built with an investment of $3.352 billion (adjusted to 2007 dollars), the plant houses two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors (PWRs) that together provide an electrical output capacity of 2.2 gigawatts, capable of meeting the electricity demand of roughly 1.25 million residents. Its typical operational output averages around 1.6 gigawatts.
The facility's electrical output is transmitted to the grid through a 765 kV line connecting to AEP’s DuMont substation in Indiana, alongside several 345 kV lines, including two that interface with ITC Transmission’s METC network and the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station, which is under Entergy’s ownership.
License expiration and renewal
On August 30, 2005, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission extended the operating licenses for both reactors. Unit One's license now extends until 2034, while Unit Two's remains valid through 2037. Initially, each unit was licensed for a forty-year term starting from its commissioning date.
Electricity production
In 2021, Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant produced a total of 17,953 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1,393,943 | 1,303,796 | 1,534,739 | 1,490,105 | 1,560,999 | 1,463,499 | 1,417,982 | 1,330,691 | 6,821 | 1,235,222 | 1,488,958 | 1,597,552 | 15,824,307 |
| 2002 | 1,167,290 | 695,071 | 1,522,222 | 1,469,190 | 596,703 | 1,066,701 | 1,354,047 | 1,447,552 | 1,474,853 | 1,554,710 | 1,517,887 | 1,562,297 | 15,428,523 |
| 2003 | 1,069,728 | 1,055,888 | 1,590,347 | 1,179,481 | 61,859 | 943,960 | 1,556,300 | 1,114,527 | 1,523,405 | 1,237,973 | 833,018 | 1,516,770 | 13,683,256 |
| 2004 | 1,503,522 | 1,500,821 | 1,487,251 | 1,136,748 | 1,586,127 | 1,514,819 | 1,535,744 | 1,544,700 | 1,510,810 | 777,901 | 1,061924 | 1_609_559 | 16_769_926 |
(The table continues with similar annual data for later years.)
Surrounding population
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission establishes two emergency planning zones around nuclear facilities: a plume exposure pathway zone extending approximately , which addresses potential airborne radioactive contamination risks; and an ingestion pathway zone roughly in radius that focuses on hazards related to contaminated food and liquids.
As of 2010 data for D.C. Cook’s vicinity indicated a population of 54 638 within , reflecting a growth of 3.4% over ten years. Within , the population reached 1 225 096 people—a rise of 2.8% since the year 2000. Nearby urban centers include South Bend (26 miles away) in Indiana; Michigan City in Indiana; St. Joseph in Michigan; and Kalamazoo in Michigan.
Former visitors’ center
Initially open six days per week for walk-in visitors before September 11 attacks led to restrictions limiting access to scheduled school groups only. The center featured an animated scale model illustrating the plant’s operations but was permanently closed in 2020.
Ownership
Indiana Michigan Power Company operates the plant under ownership by American Electric Power.
Incidents
- In 1971, a construction accident resulted in the death of an electrician.
- Two employees lost their lives in 1976 due to argon inerting gas asphyxiation during welding operations.
- On July 13, 1990, a 4 kV switchgear explosion caused one fatal electrocution and left three individuals with severe burns.
- Both units were offline for approximately three years starting in September 1997 following NRC concerns about the emergency core cooling systems.
- The NRC issued a $500,000 civil fine in 1998 for 37 regulatory breaches associated with the containment ice condenser.
- Unit 2 experienced an automatic shutdown on May 12, 2002, after redundant DC power supplies failed; the problem reoccurred in February 2003 due to insufficient corrective measures.
- A transformer fire in 2003 led to the shutdown of Unit 1 and resulted in cooling oil being discharged into Lake Michigan.
- On April 24, 2003, both units were manually shut down and an Alert-level emergency plan was activated following fish intrusion; the situation was resolved within 25 hours.
- Vibrations caused by fractured turbine blades on September 20, 2008, damaged Unit 1’s turbine and generator, triggering a generator fire without any radiation release; meanwhile, Unit 2 remained fully operational.
- Unit 2 (1,168 MW) shut down on October 12, 2020, due to a low water level detected in a steam generator.
- A leak in a high-pressure steam line on June 22, 2021, forced a manual shutdown of Unit 2; Unit 1 continued normal operation. Repair schedules were withheld for competitive reasons.
- An "unusual event" was declared on January 6, 2022, after a potential fire alarm was triggered; no actual fire was found.
- On March 4, 2025, a suspect collided with the plant’s security barrier; no threat to public safety or facility security was identified. The individual was detained and faces several charges.
Seismic risk
According to a June 2018 NRC assessment, the annual probability of an earthquake causing core damage at D.C. Cook is estimated at one in 83,333.
Additional information
| Unit 1 | Unit 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Reactor type | Pressurized water | |
| Reactor manufacturer | Westinghouse | |
| Turbine manufacturer | General Electric | Brown Boveri |
| Generation capacity | 1,020 megawatts | 1,090 megawatts |
| Transmission system connection | 345,000 volts | 765,000 volts |
| Construction began | March 1, 1969 | |
| Grid connection | February 10, 1975 | March 22, 1978 |
| Operational date | August 27, 1975 | July 1, 1978 |
| Expiration of original license | October 25, 2014 | December 23, 2017 |
| Expiration of renewed license | 2034 | 2037 |
See also
External links
- Aerial photos of the Cook plant
- Cook Nuclear Power Plant Page
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Information Page for Unit 1
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Information Page for Unit 2
- (channel WNDU 16 News Now, February 24, 2024 [n.d.])