TotalU.S. nuclear power plant availability nudged slightly higher from 77.81% onOct. 10 to 78.92% on Oct. 11, but remains well below the 82.23% reported at thesame time last year and near 11-month lows.

Returningproduction at several plants across the country helped to lift total output,but the returning supply was largely offset by the loss of 's Harris plant inNorth Carolina.

Accordingto a report filedwith the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Harris reactor was takenoffline Oct. 8 due to an "unexpected reactor trip" while the unit wasreducing power for a planned refueling outage.

Privatesources indicate the refueling outage is scheduled to last about four weeks.

TheNRC report also noted that Duke's Robinson 2 plant in South Carolina was takenoffline Oct. 8 when "a momentary grid voltage drop … lowered the 4kV busvoltage and initiated an automatic reactor trip." The reactor has sincereturned to 48% as of early Oct. 11.

Alsoramping production were Duke's Catawba plant in South Carolina and 's Byron plant inIllinois.

Catawba2 was at 93% power early Oct. 11, up from 50% on Oct. 10, after completing aregularly scheduled refueling and maintenance outage that began inmid-September.

Byron1 was returned to 89% power, up from 71% power on Oct. 10, after both units atthe plant saw output cut to 71% by Oct. 10. Bryon 2 remains at 71% early Oct.11.

For details of U.S. nuclearpower plant operations, visit our Nuclear Status and Output Page.