Quad Cities Nuclear Generating Station
| Company type | Nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | Cordova , United States |
Area served | Quad Cities region (Illinois and Iowa) |
| Products | Electricity generation (nuclear) |
| Owner | Constellation Energy |
Quad Cities Generating Station consists of two nuclear reactors located near Cordova, Illinois, alongside the Mississippi River. These reactors, both General Electric boiling water reactor models, collectively deliver an approximate gross electrical output of 1,880 MW. The facility derives its name from the adjacent Quad Cities region: Moline, Illinois, Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport, Iowa, East Moline, Illinois, and Bettendorf, Iowa.
The plant is under the ownership and management of Constellation Energy. In 2004, it was granted a 20-year operating license extension by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Nevertheless, persistent financial difficulties led Exelon to contemplate shutting down the station by 2018.
On June 2, 2016, Exelon declared its intention to cease operations at Quad Cities as of June 1, 2018, attributing the decision to economic challenges and insufficient legislative backing from Illinois. Subsequently, after Illinois enacted the Future Energy Jobs Bill later that year, Exelon reversed its closure plan and pledged to maintain the plant's operation.
Electricity production
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual (Total) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1,172,952 | 1,056,612 | 1,106,183 | 1,065,468 | 1,162,558 | 1,117,115 | 1,135,979 | 635,766 | 1,101,113 | 1,162,846 | 1,130,032 | 1,138,068 | 12,984,692 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | 738,475 | 596,682 | 1,007,517 | 1,086,067 | 1,167,150 | 1,142,800 | 931,703 | 1,165,500 | 1,174,630 | 1,228,133 | 744,548 | 1,283,145 | 12,266,350 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | 1,306,327 | 1,152,976 | 1,278,664 | 1,171,498 | 954,716 | 815,842 | 1,220,760 | 1,281,536 | 1,265,121 | 1,304,252 | 833,485 | 1,186,540 | 13,771,717 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 1,202,875 | 991,349 | 568,791 | 1,084,379 | 1,121,888 | 1,076,092 | 1,107,130 | 1,111,430</ small > | < small > 1 , 074 , 236 </ small > | < small > 1 , 124 , 678 </ small > | < small > 1 , 091 , 794 </ small > | < small > 1 , 127 , 459 </ small > | 12 , 682 , 101 | - | 2005 | < small > 1 ,126 ,644 </ small > | < small > 1 ,017 ,777 </ small > | < small > 928 ,283 </ small > | < small > 738 ,220 </ small > | < small > 920 ,192 </ small > | < small > 1 ,070 ,820 </ small > | < small > 1 ,200 ,205 </ small > | < small > 1 ,283 ,322 </ small > | < small > 1 ,248 ,711 </ small > | < small > 1 ,276 ,356 </ small > | < small > 1 ,255 ,174 </ small > | < small > 1 ,253 ,172 </ small > | 13 ,318 ,876 | - | 2006 | < small > 884 ,856 </ small > | < small > 976 ,728 </ small > | < small > 1 ,001 ,358 </ small > | < small > 691 ,552 </ small > | < small > 880 ,325 </ small > | < small > 1 ,250 ,611 </ small > | < small > 1 ,284 ,768 </ small > | < small > 1 ,253 ,438 </ small > | < small > 1 ,245 ,977 </ small > | < small > 1 ,295 ,714 </ small > | < small > 1 ,251 ,173 </ small > | < small > 1 ,293 ,171 </ small > | 13 ,309 ,671 | - | 2007 | < small > 1294 ,067 </ small > | < small >1148 ,358 </ small > | < small >1245 ,422 </ small > | < small >1122 ,822 </ small > | < small >832 ,192 </ small > | < small >1247 ,167 </ small > | < small >1289 ,652 </ small > | < small >1289 ,911 </ small > | < small >1155 ,812 </ small > | < small >1288 ,041 </ small > | < small >1252 ,265 </ small > | < small >1291 ,167 </ small > | 14 ,456 ,876 | - | 2008 | < small >1289 ,535 </ small > | < small >1155 ,382 </ small > | < small >679 ,767 </.small > | <.small >1209 ,381 </.small > | <.small >1287 ,186 </.small > | <.small >1247 ,811 </.small > | <.small >1290 ,501 </.small > | <.small >1284 ,779 </.small > | <.small >1243 ,128 </.small > | <.small >1284 ,
862 </> |1207, 123| 1045, 245| |
14,
224, 700| |
Extended power uprate
On March 5, 2002, during a test aimed at enhancing the efficiency of existing BWR units, Quad Cities Unit 2 encountered steam line vibrations. Subsequently, on March 29, the plant was deliberately shut down due to excessive vibrations that caused leaks in the primary turbine control system. After resuming operations on April 2, a vibration event led to the rupture of a main steam pipe drain line, which was repaired prior to restarting. By June 7, further unexplained anomalies emerged within the main steam lines, prompting another shutdown on July 11. Investigation revealed a hole in the steam dryer as the root cause, which was fixed before Unit 2 returned to service on July 21, 2002. This event did not elevate the risk of accidents. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviewed all repairs and authorized completion of the uprate.
| Unit 1 | Unit 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | BWR-3 | |
| Nuclear system supplier | General Electric Company (U.S.) | |
| Capacity Net MW(e) |
934 | 937 |
| Generation in 2003 Megawatt-hours |
5,709,520 | 6,956,073 |
| Capacity Factor |
90.6% | 92.7% |
| Operational Date |
Dec. 14, 1972 | |
| License Expiration Date |
Dec. 14, 2032 | |
In 2015, the Quad Cities facility produced 15.5 million MWh of electricity with a capacity factor of 95.0%, providing power to roughly 1.2 million households.
Surrounding population
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission establishes two emergency planning zones around nuclear facilities: a 10-mile plume exposure pathway zone addressing airborne radioactive contamination and a 50-mile ingestion pathway zone concerned with contaminated food and water supplies.
According to data from 2010, there were 34,350 residents within a 10-mile radius of Quad Cities—a slight decline over the previous decade—and approximately 655,207 people lived within a 50-mile radius, also showing a minor decrease since 2000. Cities located within this larger zone include Davenport and Moline, both situated about 19 miles from the plant.
Exelon's cost disclosure
In 2015, Exelon's executive vice president disclosed that operating costs for its five Illinois dual-unit nuclear plants averaged roughly $33–$34 per megawatt-hour (MW·h), whereas the single-unit Clinton plant's costs were closer to $38–$39 per MW·h. These figures encompass expenses such as labor, both planned and unplanned maintenance, nuclear fuel procurement, capital investments, corporate overheads, and property taxes.
Revenue streams come from energy prices paid by utility customers as well as capacity payments funded by all consumers. Energy prices for both 2016 and 2017 were established in 2015 at about $30.50/MW·h (compared to approximately $33/MW·h in 2014). The PJM Interconnection capacity auction for June 2018 set capacity prices at $215 per megawatt-day—or $8.96/MW·h—resulting in a combined revenue near $39.50/MW·h starting mid-2018.
Quad Cities did not qualify for capacity payments due to submitting bids above clearing prices and therefore received only the energy price of $30.50/MW·h. Additionally, each plant incurs congestion charges for transmitting electricity across the grid; while some plants faced charges between $1 and $2.50 per MW·h in 2015, Quad Cities’ congestion cost was significantly higher at $9.60/MW·h. Taking these factors into account, Exelon projected Quad Cities’ revenue at approximately $22.50/MW·h in 2017—implying losses around $11/MW·h—which translates to an estimated annual deficit of about $170 million based on generating 15.44 million MW·h.
The Grand Prairie Gateway transmission line project by Commonwealth Edison aims to alleviate congestion costs affecting both Quad Cities and Byron plants. Eliminating these charges could reduce Quad Cities’ losses to roughly $70 million in that year.
In its 2016 report, Exelon stated nuclear plant revenues ranging from $19.40/MW·h at Quad Cities up to $27.80/MW·h at Dresden; other plants included Braidwood ($26.1), Byron ($22.2), La Salle ($26.5), and Clinton ($22.6). Additional income averaging $5.60/MW·h was generated through agreements during periods of high demand, with approximately 90% of revenues for that year secured above $34/MW·h. Overall, most Exelon plants except Clinton approached break-even levels near $35/MW·h.
In December 2016, Illinois approved financial support measures for Exelon's Quad Cities and Clinton facilities that provide subsidies amounting to roughly one cent per kilowatt-hour—equivalent to about $235 million annually over at least ten years—in response to declining natural gas prices exerting downward pressure on electricity rates.
Seismic risk
According to a 2010 assessment by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the probability of an earthquake triggering core damage at Quad Cities is estimated at approximately 1 in 37,037 annually.
Incidents
On March 28, 2023, reactor pressure vessel number 1 experienced a drain down event caused by the failure to close 177 drain valves. This led to the loss of over 1,200 gallons of reactor coolant water within a six-minute timeframe. During this event, two workers were exposed to radioactive coolant without adherence to proper decontamination protocols. Following the incident, a licensed senior reactor operator submitted false reports, incorrectly attributing the cause to a broken hose.
