Browns Ferry Unit 1 reactor running again

While most people in north Alabama slept Tuesday, the Tennessee Valley Authority reached a milestone.

At 12:28 a.m., the Unit 1 reactor at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant produced its first nuclear reaction in more than 22 years. The reactor was shut down March 19, 1985, amid growing concern about nuclear plant safety.

While the atmosphere was subdued at the power plant when the reaction began, the excitement among TVA employees who were gathered there was apparent, said Craig Beasley, a spokesman for the federal utility.

"Everyone was very professional. There wasn't any cheering or shouting or anything like that," Beasley said. "There was just a lot of smiles and deep sense of satisfaction."

It was the first time this century that a reactor at a nuclear power plant in the United States has been restarted after an extended shutdown.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission gave its go ahead last week for TVA to restart Unit 1 after an extensive renovation of the reactor and generator.

About 2,400 people logged 15.2 million man-hours preparing Unit 1 for its restart. The restart work took five years and cost TVA $1.8 billion.

Beasley expects the reactor will begin producing electricity for the TVA system within two weeks. He said the reactor will undergo extensive testing and gradually be brought up to full power before electricity production begins.

Tuesday's restart was bittersweet for many people who have worked on the project, said David Freeze, president of the Shoals Area Labor Council.

"Some people are sad because it means they're not going to have a paycheck for a while. Others are glad because they've been looking forward to some time off," Freeze said. "But for everybody who worked on Unit 1, this is a great feeling of accomplishment."

William Davis, an electrician from Russellville who worked on the Unit 1 restart, said he is proud to have been a part of the project. "It's a good feeling to be a part of something that provides power for the Valley."

Many of the people who worked on the Unit 1 project are from the Shoals area, Freeze said.

"Unit 1 has been a boom for the local economy," Freeze said. "There's been a lot of new pickups, Harley Davidsons and houses bought the past five year in north Alabama because of Unit 1."

The restart is creating about 110 permanent jobs for operators, engineers, maintenance employees and other workers needed for operating the reactor.

Beasley said Unit 1 would help TVA meet the ever-growing demand for electrical power in the Tennessee Valley. The reactor can produce enough electricity to light 650,000 homes.

U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Huntsville, applauded TVA for the Unit 1 restart. "As one of only a handful of nuclear plants in the country with three reactors, the additional capacity provided by this restart will enable North Alabama to continue its aggressive economic development and growth," Cramer said in an e-mailed statement.

Units 2 and 3 at Browns Ferry, which were also shutdown in 1985 were restarted in 1991 and 1995 respectively after extensive renovations.

While many people are lauding TVA, others call the decision to restart Unit 1 shortsighted.

Stephen Smith, executive director of the Knoxville-based Southern Alliance for Clear Energy said if TVA would do more to promote energy conservation, it would not need to restart old reactors and build new ones to meet the electrical needs of the Tennessee Valley.

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@timesdaily.com.