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Connecticut's Millstone nuclear power plant shut down one of two units on Sunday, not because of any problems at the plant, but because the sea water used to cool the plant is too warm. Unit 2 may not take in water warmer than 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and the water has been averaging closer to 77.
"All summer long, Long Island Sound temperatures have been higher than historical," Ken Holt, Dominion spokesperson, said today. "This morning, the 24-hour average temperature for service water at Unit 2 is 75.7 degrees."
The other operating reactor at Millstone has continued to function. Holt explained, "Unit 3 is at full power. It is a slightly different design than Unit 2. Its service water pumps have longer shafts than Unit 2, so it actually pulls water from farther down in the water column. So that water is cooler to begin with. Unit 2 shafts pull water closer to the surface, where the water is warmest."
ISO-New England has told Millstone that the supply of electricity is more than enough to meet current demand.
