Pilgrim Reduces Power Levels During Heat Wave

During the span of days reaching 90+ degrees, Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station has had to reduce its power output when seawater temperatures rose too high.

Temperatures in Cape Cod Bay, from which Pilgrim takes seawater to cool key components, rose higher than 75 degrees Tuesday evening, when seawater temperatures rose to 75.4 degrees for about an hour and a half. Operators temporarily reduced reactor power levels to 85 percent to "limit impacts," according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

The rise in seawater temperatures led to the shutdown of the seawater cooling systems for 90 minutes. 

Temperatures rose again Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. for 5.5 hours, and again the plant reduced power by 15 percent. 

NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said the shutdown was not surprising considering the high temperatures. Seawater temperatures also depend on the tides. 

Read Pilgrim's two Event Notifications on the NRC's website: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/en.html. You have to click through the 2013 dates at the top of the page to find them.