Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station

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Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station
The Three Mile Island NPP on Three Mile Island, circa 1979
The Three Mile Island NPP on Three Mile Island, circa 1979
Data
Country USA
Location Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Operator AmerGen Energy Company
Built 1968
Start of commercial operation September 2, 1974
Reactors
Reactor type Pressurized water reactor
Reactors active 1 (837 MW)
Reactors shut down 1 (959 MW)
Power
Capacity  MW
Total power generation in 2006 7,227 GWh
Average annual generation (last 5 yrs) 6,955 GWh
Net generation 153,960 GWh
Other details
NRC region 1
As of August 1, 2007
NRC
Region One
(Northeast)
Connecticut
Millstone
Maryland
Calvert Cliffs
Massachusetts
Pilgrim
New Hampshire
Seabrook
New Jersey
Hope Creek
Oyster Creek
Salem
New York
Fitzpatrick
Indian Point
Nine Mile Point
R.E. Ginna
Pennsylvania
Beaver Valley
Limerick
Peach Bottom
Susquehanna
Three Mile Island
Vermont
Vermont Yankee

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Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station is a civilian nuclear power plant located on an island (Three Mile Island) in the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Its name is derived not from the size of the island, but from the fact that TMI is three miles downriver from Middletown, Pennsylvania. It was built with two pressurized water reactors, TMI-1 and TMI-2. The plant is most well known for being the site of the worst civilian nuclear accident in United States history when in 1979 TMI-2 suffered a partial meltdown. The core of TMI-2 has since been removed from the site.

The plant was originally built by General Public Utilities Corporation, later renamed GPU Inc., and operated by Metropolitan Edison Company (Met-Ed), a GPU subsidiary. Following the accident at TMI-2, the plant was transferred under the ownership and operation of a new subsidiary company, GPU Nuclear (GPUN). GPUN continued to operate TMI-1 until its 1998 sale to AmerGen Energy Corporation, a joint venture of Philadelphia Electric Company Energy, Inc. (PECO Energy) and British Energy Group Plc. PECO's share in AmerGen was acquired by Exelon Corporation in 2000, after that company was formed from the merger of PECO and Unicom Corporation. Exelon acquired British Energy's share in AmerGen in 2003, and transferred the plant under the direct ownership and operation of its Exelon Nuclear business unit.

The damaged and deactivated TMI-2 remained under GPUN ownership until 2001, when GPUN was acquired and absorbed by First Energy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC). First Energy continues to own TMI-2, but has subcontracted the maintenance and management of the site to AmerGen Energy from 2001-2003, and Exelon Nuclear from 2003-present.

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