Plant continues long-standing record of safety and reliability
DALLAS – Twenty-five years ago, the first of two units at Luminant’s Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant began supplying power to the state’s electric grid. That day – Aug. 13, 1990 – was the culmination of a long journey through construction and commissioning, and the beginning of a growing history of milestones and memories.
Now, more than 422 million megawatt-hours later, the plant continues its long-standing record of safety, reliability and operational excellence.
“For 25 years, the people who work at Comanche Peak have carried through on their commitment to the people of Texas to provide reliable, clean power while keeping safety as the highest priority,” said Mac McFarland, CEO of Luminant. “Their standard of excellence is what has made Comanche Peak one of the best nuclear plants in the country.”
Comanche Peak sits on 10,000 acres between Glen Rose and Granbury, about 45 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Since 1990, it has contributed more than $1 billion to neighboring communities through tax payments, payrolls, purchases and other expenditures. During construction and commissioning of the two units, the plant provided more than 10,000 jobs; currently, about 1,300 people are needed to support units 1 and 2. More than 200 of these current employees were there the day Comanche Peak synced to the ERCOT grid.
“I was the shift operations manager at the time,” said Rafael Flores, chief nuclear officer for Luminant. “Looking back, the number of people who have played a role in the success of our plant is mind boggling – from those who designed it up to everyone who is here today. All along the way, it’s been the quality of our people who have made the difference.”
Comanche Peak has become much more than a source of dependable electricity; its employees have established a legacy of generosity as dependable volunteers and donors of both money and time. From educational partnerships with the local school districts to donations of funds and expertise to local emergency preparedness activities, and active participation in community organizations, Comanche Peak is a vital part of Hood and Somervell counties.
The two-unit nuclear plant has a capacity of 2,300 MW — enough to power about 1.15 million homes in normal conditions and 460,000 homes in periods of peak demand.
From colossal construction to dinosaur discoveries, massive megawatts to powerful pellets, be sure to check out our blog for more on the plant’s 25th anniversary and 25 things you might not know about Comanche Peak.
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About Luminant
Luminant, a subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings Corp., is a competitive power generation business, including mining, wholesale marketing and trading, and development operations. Luminant has more than 13,700 megawatts of generation in Texas, including 2,300 MW fueled by nuclear power and 8,000 MW fueled by coal. The company is a large purchaser of wind-generated electricity. EFH is a Dallas-based energy holding company that has a portfolio of competitive and regulated energy subsidiaries in Texas. Visit luminant.com, energyfutureholdings.com or our corporate blog pov.energyfutureholdings.com for additional information.
Media:
Meranda Cohn
214-875-8004
media.relations@luminant.com
Continuing Luminant's commitment to waste reduction, Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant is kicking off 2013 nearly 200,000 pounds lighter! The plant recently completed a significant post-operation recycling effort of the old Unit 1 and Unit 2 circuit breakers.