Pilgrim Shutdown for Refueling

Pilgrim Station has completed its 18th operating cycle. Operators disconnected the plant from the New England electric grid Sunday night at 6:22 p.m. to begin the plant’s scheduled refueling outage, according to Pilgrim officials.

"During this refueling outage, we will take the time necessary to carefully perform refueling activities as well as testing, maintenance and capital improvements that will position the plant for safe and reliable operation during the next operating cycle and beyond. The refueling and maintenance workforce includes Pilgrim Station staff supplemented by other workers including Entergy employees from other nuclear plants, radiation protection technicians, engineers, inspectors, millwrights, electricians, pipefitters, boilermakers, welders, painters, equipment operators, insulators, carpenters and laborers," the release states.  

"We have the right safety focus for the work being performed in this planned outage," Pilgrim Station’s Site Vice President Robert Smith said. "I am confident in the knowledge and talent of our plant employees as well as our nuclear fleet shared resources and supplement workers who are here to support this refueling outage, which will set the tone for safe, reliable operations through the next operating cycle."

More than 1,000 additional maintenance workers are augmenting Entergy's workforce this week.