Xcel's Monticello plant back at full power
Xcel Energy officials say that the company's nuclear powered generating facility in Monticello was back at full power this morning.
The plant was shut down for about three weeks after an oil sensor found a malfunction in the plant's turbine.
Xcel Vice President Tim O'Connor said that caused a shutdown and required a repair. He said that control equipment on the turbine malfunctioned after the first repairs were under way.
"Even though the issues that we had were on the generator, the generator still has protective features to protect the reactor as well," O'Connor said. "There was never any issue with the reactor, no issue with the safety systems. All of our repairs were actually on the electrical side of our facility."
The single-reactor plant generates about 600 megawatts of electricity. It took 22 days to restore it to full power.
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