Ameren Missouri expects its Callaway Energy Center to return to full power in the next few days after operating at reduced power since Saturday, an Ameren Missouri spokesman said. The nuclear power plant, as a precautionary measure, reduced its power output on Saturday, Jan. 31 after detecting an electrical issue.
The Callaway plant replaced electrical power supplies to the nuclear facility's main turbine and currently is in the process of testing the electrical power supplies.
According to a Callaway Energy Center statement, "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."
The Callaway plant, which generates about 20 percent of the electricity for Ameren Missouri's 1.2 million customers, continues to contribute power to the grid. The nuclear power plant is operating at 46 percent power, according the the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's website.
In December, an electrical problem caused a turbine and reactor trip that shut down the nuclear plant. Ameren Missouri attributed that non-emergency shutdown, in part, to a damaged electrical cable. The plant repaired the cable and returned to service in less than a week.
An Ameren Missouri spokesperson said the Callaway Energy Center does not believe the plant's current electrical issue to be related to any previous electrical problems.