Alabama’s Plant Farley gets high marks from federal regulators for safe, reliable operation
Alabama Power's Farley nuclear plant near Dothan continues to perform well on safety inspections conducted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (file)
For more than 40 years Farley Nuclear Plant has provided safe, reliable and affordable energy to Alabama Power customers, and 2017 was no exception.
In a public meeting last week, federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) officials reported on more than 40,000 hours of oversight and inspections at Plant Farley during 2017. The NRC concluded that Plant Farley operated safely.
All inspection findings and performance indicators were “green” or of low safety significance. As a result, the two Farley units remain under the NRC’s normal level of oversight.
The NRC has two resident inspectors who work at Plant Farley and provide daily coverage and oversight of plant activity. An additional 30 regional inspectors from the NRC Region II office in Atlanta provide oversight and inspection throughout the year, adding up to thousands of hours of inspections annually.
“Indicators show that the plant is operating well and that there are no major issues,” said Roger Hannah, NRC senior public affairs officer for Region II. “That means no issues were detected during the year that would require any additional response.”
Plant Farley, about 18 miles east of Dothan, is owned by Alabama Power and operated by Southern Nuclear. Last year the plant provided nearly a quarter of Alabama Power’s total electric generation.
