The Clinton Power Station in Clinton, IL, has been around for more than three decades.
A recent article did a deep dive into the nuclear power station, saying that there is not a single thing, including every speck of dust, that does not have a purpose in the overall operation of that plant.
The plant itself powers hundreds of thousands of homes every year, reports Pantagraph.
Constant Diligence
Running such a plant is not an easy task, and every employee has to be dedicated to the success of the plant.
John Kowalski, site vice president of the Clinton Power Station, put the excellence of his staff at the top of the list for its success.
The plant was initially started in the 1970s, eating up about $4 billion in the process. Believe it or not, with inflation, that is about the same as it recently cost a Georgia power plant, coming in around $30 billion ($4 billion in 1970 is worth about $31 billion today).
The other key to the success of the operation… security.
Plant Manager Norha Plumey stated, "Security is a cornerstone of our operation, and so it's very important for us that we maintain our security workforce and our security equipment to protect the asset for the health of the public."
Safety is also at the top of this list, with the nuclear plant having its own fire department and an on-site fire marshal as well as several incident commanders.
The plant features a boiling water reactor, which is quite different from the pressurized water reactors in other plants. The system generates steam that passes through the core, which goes directly into the turbines to create electricity.
Kowalski stated, "It's unparalleled to really anything you see anywhere else."
Brett Nauman, senior manager of communications, stated, "Last year when, you know, we had negative wind chills at Christmas, this plant was one of six Illinois nuclear power plants operating and keeping people's heaters running in the cold.
"As the summer goes and gets hotter, these six plants in Illinois including Clinton Power Station are keeping air conditioning running and keeping people safe.
"... It's vitally important to the state of Illinois and to the region."
Let's hope they keep running for the rest of the summer!
