nuclear plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says Xcel Energy has agreed to take corrective measures to address the improper testing of welds on six spent fuel canisters at the Monticello nuclear plant.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says one of the two reactors at Xcel Energy's Prairie Island nuclear plant shut down automatically after a problem developed in the unit's turbine.

A driving force behind Xcel Energy's request for a rate hike is improvements at Minnesota's oldest nuclear power plant which have run $267 million over budget. Workers replaced aging pumps and other equipment at Xcel's Monticello plant during a four-month shutdown.

The Monticello Nuclear Power Plant returned to full power this (Tuesday) morning. It had been operating at a lower power since a reactor automatically shut down safely on November 19th.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has cited Xcel Energy for a safety problem involving battery chargers for its Unit 1 reactor at the Prairie Island nuclear plant. The devices charge batteries that provide backup power for safety equipment. Under certain conditions, the old chargers could lock up.