The work is expected to be completed in a few days. The situation poses no danger to the public or plant workers. Unit 1 continues to operate at full power.
The Prairie Island nuclear plant is 28 miles southeast of Minneapolis-St. Paul and about six miles northwest of Red Wing. The plant’s two pressurized water reactors generate 1,076 megawatts of electricity. Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy owns and operates the plant.
When both units are operating, Prairie Island generates enough electricity to power nearly 1 million homes. During outages, Xcel Energy purchases electricity from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator or other utilities or increases electricity production at its other generating plants to ensure an adequate power supply for customers.
