Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant In Lacey To Close Down In October

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ - Oyster Creek, the oldest nuclear plant in the United States, will close down in October, more than a year earlier than its original deadline, the plant's owner said.

“I want to thank the thousands of men and women who helped operate Oyster Creek Generating Station safely for the past half-century, providing generations of New Jersey families and businesses with clean, reliable electricity,” said Bryan Hanson, Exelon President and Chief Nuclear Officer. “We will offer a position elsewhere in Exelon to every employee that wishes to stay with the company, and we thank our neighbors for the privilege of allowing us to serve New Jersey for almost 50 years.”

The plant was slated to cease operations by December 2019, as part of an agreement with the state. It went online on Dec. 23, 1969.

The new schedule will give employees more time to find new jobs with Exelon and will help manage costs, Hanson said.

"The decision will also help Exelon better manage resources as fuel and maintenance costs continue to rise amid historically low power prices, Hanson said.

Exelon will work closely with local and state officials and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to plan for the long-term decommissioning of the plant, he said.

Oyster Creek’s has roughly 500 employees who will continue to operate the plant until October, Hanson said.

"Some will stay on to safely and securely decommission the facility after it is shut down," he said.

Oyster Creek is located about 60 miles east of Philadelphia in Ocean County, New Jersey. The plant produces 636 net megawatts of electricity at full power, enough electricity to supply 600,000 typical homes.

This is a developing story. Patch will update with more information during the day.

Photo: Courtesy of Exelon