Ameren Missouri's Callaway Energy Center is once again operating at full power, as of Friday morning. The nuclear power plant reduced its power output last Saturday, Jan. 31. An Ameren Missouri spokesperson said the plant did so as a precautionary measure after detecting an electrical issue.
Since detecting the issue, the Callaway Energy Center has replaced and tested electrical power supplies near the facility's main turbine.
According to a Callaway Energy Center statement given to the Fulton Sun earlier this week, "All nuclear systems are safe, and there is no threat to the safety of the public. The issue, detected Jan. 31, is on the electrical side of the plant and not the nuclear side."
While operating at reduced power, the Callaway plant continued to contribute power to the grid - at a 46 percent power output, according the the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's website.
Ameren Missouri's Callaway Energy Center generates about 20 percent of the electricity for Ameren Missouri's 1.2 million customers.
In the beginning of December, an electrical problem caused a turbine and reactor trip that shut down the nuclear plant. At the time, Ameren Missouri said a damaged electrical cable caused the non-emergency shutdown. The plant repaired the cable and returned to service in less than a week.
An Ameren Missouri spokesperson told the Fulton Sun that The Callaway Energy Center does not believe the electrical issue detected this past week was related to any prior electrical problems at the nuclear facility.