McGuire Nuclear Station
Encyclopedia
The McGuire Nuclear Station is a nuclear power plant
located about 17 miles (27.4 km) northwest of Charlotte, North Carolina
, on the state's largest lake, Lake Norman
. It is a 32,500-acre (132 km²) lake created in 1963 by Duke Power for the Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station
. The McGuire units use the lake's water for cooling.
This plant has two Westinghouse
pressurized water reactor
s and has a capability to produce 2,200 megawatts of power, with a net generation of 17,514 GW·h in 2005. This represents 44% of the total nuclear power generation for the state of North Carolina.
s were 2021-06-12 for Unit 1 and 2023-03-03 for Unit 2.
In 2003, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) renewed the licenses for both reactors for an additional twenty years.
defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of 10 miles (16.1 km), concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about 50 miles (80.5 km), concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity.
The 2010 U.S. population within 10 miles (16.1 km) of McGuire was 199,869, an increase of 66.8 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within 50 miles (80.5 km) was 2,850,782, an increase of 23.3 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Charlotte (17 miles to city center).
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
located about 17 miles (27.4 km) northwest of Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, on the state's largest lake, Lake Norman
Lake Norman
Lake Norman, created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Dam by Duke Energy, is the largest manmade body of fresh water located in North Carolina.-General Information:...
. It is a 32,500-acre (132 km²) lake created in 1963 by Duke Power for the Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station
Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station
Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station is a hydroelectric power plant and dam located near Huntersville, North Carolina, approximately 20 miles north of Charlotte on Lake Norman...
. The McGuire units use the lake's water for cooling.
This plant has two Westinghouse
Westinghouse Electric Company
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC is a nuclear power company, offering a wide range of nuclear products and services to utilities throughout the world, including nuclear fuel, service and maintenance, instrumentation and control and advanced nuclear plant designs...
pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...
s and has a capability to produce 2,200 megawatts of power, with a net generation of 17,514 GW·h in 2005. This represents 44% of the total nuclear power generation for the state of North Carolina.
Ownership
The McGuire plant is operated by Duke Power Company and owned by the Duke Energy Corporation.License
The original operating licenses' expiration dateExpiration date
Expiration date can refer to:*The shelf life of a grocery item*Expiration *Copyright expiration*Expiration Date , a 2006 comedy* Expiration Date, a novel by Tim Powers...
s were 2021-06-12 for Unit 1 and 2023-03-03 for Unit 2.
In 2003, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
(NRC) renewed the licenses for both reactors for an additional twenty years.
Surrounding population
The Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of 10 miles (16.1 km), concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about 50 miles (80.5 km), concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity.
The 2010 U.S. population within 10 miles (16.1 km) of McGuire was 199,869, an increase of 66.8 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within 50 miles (80.5 km) was 2,850,782, an increase of 23.3 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Charlotte (17 miles to city center).